Dreaming to Reality: Fragments
by Yuki Ryu
Summary: When time in the Digital World stretched endlessly, the first Chosen Children arrived to face what lay behind the Wall of Fire. All that remains are fragments.
1. Chapter 1

It was the seventh laboratory they had used since their work had begun so many millennia ago. Ever since the first invasion, the disaster that cost them one of their most powerful and arguably most dangerous Digiegg, it seemed that every few centuries, some other villain would show up to snatch the eggs.

It wasn't always like this. Initially, this project was only supposed to last for a few years, a decade or two at most. Unfortunately, because the time in the human world had ground almost to a standstill, they were left waiting for so many years for the children tied to the gods to grow until they were mature enough to understand how they held the fate of both worlds in their hands.

As a result, most of their work seemed to involve simply waiting and watching, and hoping that there would be no more losses.

The night started out normally, quiet save for the beeping of the computer monitoring systems. Gennai and his coworkers shuffled about the lab, keeping an eye on the remaining eggs in their tubes and the various information appearing on the screens as they worked.

There was no warning, nothing to catch the eyes of the ever vigilant caretakers about what was about to happen. None of them were prepared for when one of the eggs began to glow.

The egg in question was pure black in color, with an iridescent reminiscent of a pearl. It had been content in its tube, like it had been for so many years, before the shell started to pulsate. Even through the liquid, the light shone clearly. As one of the caretakers rushed towards the egg, the shell began to crack. A small fracture at first, it quickly spread like shattered glass until the entire egg's surface looked like a spider web. Before their very horrified eyes, the egg burst apart to reveal a tiny Digimon.

The Digimon was the source of the glow, its detail completely obscured by the light. As the light continued to shine, its form shifted, changing within its confinement. It grew larger, evolving with its own light as it sped through its lower evolutions before the light finally faded, revealing its Child form. It looked deceptively like a child's stuffed doll. It was black and covered in what may have been fur or felt. It was soft and rounded, its limbs ending in blunt ends vaguely shaped like paws. Around its neck was a silver ribbon nestled around a black charm in the shape of crescent moons arranged to create the same shape in the negative space between each sliver. Its eyes were large and golden, but unlike the gentle shape of its body, those eyes darted about wildly, creating a twisting, distressed expression as it began to howl a single word drowned out by fluid.

"No!" one of the figures in cloaks shouted. "It's too soon!"

The Digimon within the tube threw her paws against the tube, her expression rapidly shifting from distress to pure panic - and anger. Despite how soft her paws looked, the glass of the tube still cracked beneath her strikes. The assembled figures had little more than a moment to draw closer to the Digimon and her containment tube before she struck again, completely shattering the glass and sending both herself, liquid, and glass to the floor. The Digimon landed roughly on her feet, stumbling slightly, before she gave a quick shake and let out a cry that sounded like a mixture of a scream and a roar. " _Keiko_!"

A snarl escaped the Digimon as she rushed forward, scattering the cloaked caretakers in all directions as she surged forward like a charging bull. She didn't stop even for a moment when she came to a wall, shattering it with her feet so that bits of data flew around her, leaving a hole in the structure as she went.

Gennai stared at the hole in the wall where the Digimon had once stood before his youthful expression became grim. He turned to his comrades, who stood around and gawked at both the damage and the ruined tube before turning to each other with a mixture of apprehension and confusion.

"Alert the Avatars." Gennai ordered.

* * *

The moon was hanging full in the night sky, its brilliance almost as bright as the sun. It outshined the twinkling colorful lights of the amusement park far below. Normally, the Digimon who lived there would be enjoying the rides even long into the night, but even as cheerful calliope music filled the air and the carousel and ferris wheel spun in slow circles, they ignored the usual fun attractions and slowly gathered around a pile of rubbish that had fallen from the sky at the very heart of the park. There were mostly papers, office supplies, and even an overturned desk and cabinet. What caught the most interest, however, was the human child sitting at the center of the mess. She was a tiny slip of a girl, with haunted red eyes that stood out against her pale skin as vividly as the bloodstains covering the thin white nightgown that clung wetly to her body. Only one Digimon had dared to come close to the girl, a feline with fur as black as the girl's irregularly cropped short hair and the night sky. The Digimon was only a Child, and yet filled with a powerful aura that kept even the most curious Digimon from daring to come to close. However, in spite of the menace the Digimon gave off, the girl clung to the plush cat, her tiny body quaking as her eyes kept staring unseeing at something far away.

One of the braver Digimon, a Koromon, moved closer to sniff at the girl only to swiftly retreat back when a well-aimed tail lashed out. It narrowly missed the Digimon's snout and cracked the pavement where it had been moments before, the appendage surprisingly powerful despite its soft and flimsy appearance.

A low growl came from deep within Plushmon's throat, her piercing eyes challenging anyone to get close and risk the consequences.

With the open display of aggression, most of the Digimon were discouraged from attempting to get any closer to the strange child or her partner. The sensible Digimon withdrew, deciding their curiosity wasn't worth the animosity, and left the girl alone. However, not every Digimon was sensible.

One in particular was a Digimon that looked like a white cat dressed as a jester. His outfit was split down the middle and into quarters, with his right torso and arm and left waist and leg decorated in black with silver crescents while his left torso and arm and right waist and leg were white with gold suns. The tips of his toes were deep blue with bright red stars while his jester hat was a playful mixture of loud colors and bells that jingled as he floated along on tiny patchwork wings on his bag. His long tail, also patchwork in design with a wide variety of colors, swayed back and forth as the white lion-like tip jingled due to the bells attached to it.

"You knooooow, there are _better_ places to sleep than on the ground," the Digimon said as he tilted his head to the side. "What's all that red stuff, anyway?"

The girl said nothing. She didn't even seem to register that someone had spoken to her.

The Digimon frowned before he leaned closer. "Helllllooo? Kyoumon is talking to yoooou!"

Plushmon bared her teeth at the jester Digimon. "Go away or I'll bite you."

Kyoumon blinked before he puffed his cheeks out with a huff. "Ruuuuude... Kyoumon is just trying to talk to the strange Digimon!"

"She's not a Digimon, she's my Chosen!" Plushmon snapped, bristling. "Go away or _else_!"

"Kyoumon is _not_ 'Or Else', Kyoumon is _Kyoumon_ ," the jester cat Digimon said, matter-of-factly, before he leaned forward. "Kyoumon will say it as many times as-yeek!" Kyoumon jerked back just in time to narrowly avoid Plushmon's sharp teeth as she snapped at the Digimon, her fangs making a clinking noise as she bit the air.

"You're gonna be _Deadmon_ if you don't keep away from Keiko!" Plushmon said, her voice low and rumbling as her ears canted back. The remaining Digimon quickly scattered, leaving only Kyoumon to stand in front of the human and her Digimon.

Kyoumon puffed his cheeks up as his tail lashed about behind him, rattling the bells attached to his tail. "Ruuuuude! Kyoumon thinks _Rudemon_ needs to learn some manners!"

Plushmon responded by spitting out a tiny bit of flame at Kyoumon, deep black with purple highlights. The jester cat Digimon jerked back with a squeak, the flame narrowly missing his head. Plushmon's eyes followed him, barring her sharp fangs at Kyoumon. " _Deadmon_!"

Kyoumon blinked before he huffed again, puffing out his cheeks as he clenched his tiny paws in to fists and shook them. "Kyoumon can do that too!" Seemingly reaching behind him, Kyoumon suddenly pulled out a large guitar out of thin air and hefted it over his head. "Ka- _Bo_ -!"

A click of a pen came from behind Kyoumon, soft and not particularly threatening. And yet the sound alone sent a chill through Kyoumon's body, causing him to freeze as the tip of his tail puffed up like a wire-brush. The Digimon quickly glancing behind him, eyes wide as his ears canted back.

A Digimon in the shape of an angel with long hair as black as his wings surveyed the scene. In his hands were a pen and a notepad, which he used to write something down. Despite his body being covered in leather and chains, he made no other noise than the scrape of the tip of the pen against paper. Once he finished writing, he clicked the pen again with a note of finality and regarded the human child. "It would seem as though your services will be more useful than mine at the moment, Higashi."

The Digimon in question, Higashi, was also angelic in appearance, though his feathers were white and his hair golden blonde. In further contrast, he wore robes of white with gold trim rather than the black leather covering his comrade. He glanced towards his comrade before he looked at Kyoumon, who kept his attention solely on the angel in black. Higashi frowned, then moved past Kyoumon towards Plushmon and the human girl on the ground.

Plushmon let out a low growl, baring her fangs. "Stay _back_!"

"I'm not going to hurt her," Higashi said, his voice soft and soothing, before he focused his attention on the human girl. "...Keiko? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

A whisper eeked out of Keiko - two words repeated in a desperate litany. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Higashi frowned before he knelt down. "Keiko, I-"

Plushmon lunged forward, digging her teeth in to Higashi's arm. The angel barely flinched, and didn't so much as glance towards the furious young Digimon. Instead, he kept his attention on Keiko.

"Keiko," Higashi said, slowly. "Did something happen?"

Keiko stared through Higashi, silent for nearly a minute before she saw something that drew her gaze away. Her eyes widened as a tiny shrill sound eked out of her before she buried her face into the back of Plushmon head. She clutched the little Digimon closer to her, as though trying to disappear, while her body trembled uncontrollably and her head shook from side to side. Finally, words managed to escape her, weak and hoarse, muffled against the soft body of Plushmon. "No... no... no..."

Zennyu followed Keiko's gaze, his eyes narrowing as he saw what caught her attention. "Higashi."

Higashi glanced back to Zennyu. "Hm?" He didn't even notice that Plushmon was no longer biting him and was baring her teeth in a growl, obviously upset that she didn't have more of an impact on the 'threat'. Instead he focused on where the dark angel pointed.

Among the debris littering the area, a pair of sharp scissors could easily be overlooked, but what made it different from all the other mundane items that had traveled with Keiko was the fact that the silvery metal was coated completely in blood.

Higashi's eyes widened, alarm flooding him. "B-blood!?"

Zennyu turned from the scissors to the blood soaked dress Keiko wore. Because of her black hair, it was easy to miss the dark marks along her neck. "Higashi, what are you waiting for?"

Higashi jerked before he turned back to Keiko. He held his hand out towards the small girl, his fingers twitching as Plushmon snapped at them, before a soft white glow came from the palm of his hands. The glow spread outwards, engulfing Keiko and Plushmon both. Plushmon herself wasn't affected in the slightest, still glaring death and doom at Higashi. Keiko, on the other hand, saw an immediate response. The purple blotches around her neck faded away like a bad dream, leaving only pale skin.

"There," Higashi said, as he lowered his hand. He looked at Keiko's neck before lifting his eyes to her face. "Does it still hurt?"

Though Keiko seemed to breathe easier, she started rocking back and forth. "I didn't... I didn't... no... no..."

Higashi furrowed his brow again, frowning. "You didn't...?"

Zennyu sighed and pulled a pen and clipboard out of thin air. The sound of a click signified a note being written. "I think the damage to her soul is worse than what happened to her body. We should bring her back to the Crystal Palace."

"You're not taking her anywhere!" Plushmon snarled, her fur puffed up. "Stay away from Keiko!"

"Kyoumon still thinks Rudemon needs a good ka-bong," Kyoumon grumbled, the jester cat loitering about from a safe distance as he watched the proceedings.

Zennyu loomed over Plushmon, a large and intimidating figure, but the tiny Digimon was completely unaffected. "Keiko needs you, and she needs help. We're taking you both to get it."

"Help her how!?" Plushmon demanded, her ears canted back.

"By getting her away from the thing that's upsetting her, for starters," Zennyu said.

Plushmon's eyes narrowed. Her eyes darted to the scissors before returning to Zennyu, and she bared her teeth once more as she let out a low growl.

"Keiko, let's go," Higashi said as he tentatively reached his hand out, extending it to the small girl. "We'll get you cleaned up, and something to eat. Alright?"

Slowly, Keiko rose to her feet without lifting her head, her movements slow. She didn't speak, or otherwise react, not even when Higashi took her hand and led her along.

Plushmon grumbled deep in her throat. "If you do anything bad to Keiko, I'll kill you! Remember that!"

Zennyu clicked his pen as he regarded the small Digimon. "The one you should kill is the person responsible for hurting your Chosen Child."

A terrible shudder ran through Keiko, turning her legs to jelly and sending her falling from Higashi's grip. A wordless keening wail of anguish escaped her as she curled around Plushmon before she broke down into harsh sobs that racked her small body.

Higashi turned to stare at Keiko for a moment before he shot Zennyu an irritated look. He then wordlessly knelt down, wrapping his arms around the trembling Chosen. Ignoring the growling from Plushmon, he muttered in a strange language under his breath before both he and Keiko disappeared in a burst of light.

Zennyu twirled his pen in his fingers before clicking it again. "Interesting." His cloth like black wings slid around him, and he became shadow, slipping into the ground and disappearing into darkness.

Kyoumon frowned as he found himself suddenly alone, his ears canting back. He glanced about, the bells on his outfit jingling, before he let out a frustrated sigh. "Boooooring..." He paused before his eyes settled on the bloody scissors. After a moment's hesitation, he drifted over to the metal cutting utensil covered in the foreign, sticky substance. He brought the scissors to his face, sniffing at the blood. Grimacing at the smell, he held the scissors away and stuck out his tongue. "Blech."


	2. Chapter 2

School and study. Study and school. This was Osamu Ichijouji's life. Even walking to school was no excuse not to focus on learning - not with the advanced classes at the prestigious academy he attended bearing down on him. One hand carried his schoolbag, which he only occasionally raised to turn the page of the weighty tome he cradled in his other arm. To the casual observer, he was lost in college-level scientific theory, but his sharp eyes saw everything of his surroundings through his gold-rimmed glasses. From the cars passing by to his little brother following him like a duckling, nothing escaped his notice.

"You're trailing behind, Ken," Osamu said, watching his brother out of the corner of his eye. Only three years apart in age, but they looked very similar in appearance, with eyes colored the same hue as their hair, which was a shade somewhere between indigo and midnight blue. Osamu didn't bother brushing his hair - he barely had the time to bathe every day - which left it an unruly mess that his mother constantly fussed over. Ken's hair was at best rumpled, but it always tried to lay smooth and limp no matter how he tried to mimic Osamu's appearance.

Ken was always there following in Osamu's shadow. It was both annoying and endearing all at once.

"S-sorry," Ken said in response as he quickened his steps, his smaller legs trying to match Osamu's pace. He carried his own heavy bag and wore the same school uniform as Osamu, though naturally much smaller for his frame. While he had the option of wearing one of two uniforms, he always opted out of wearing the more complex black with navy and gold to wear the same uniform as his older brother - a simple, solid gray.

Osamu came to a halt at the crosswalk as the light flashed a warning shade of red. He held his schoolbag out as a barricade for Ken when his brother ran up to meet him to keep Ken from stumbling into the street. "Careful."

Ken blinked at the sight of his brother's bag before he looked up at Osamu. "I-I know..."

Osamu turned the page in his book before lowering his bag. "You've got to watch out for cars. They won't be able to see you until it's too late."

Ken frowned as he held his bag tightly to his chest. "I know... look both ways, wait for the light, use the crosswalk."

Osamu merely grunted, pleased that Ken was keeping that in mind, even if his little brother wasn't as conscious of what was going on around them as he was.

"Hey, Ken!" shouted a cheerful voice that set Osamu's teeth on edge.

Much to Osamu's growing irritation, Ken immediately perked up, turning to face in the direction the voice had come from. A bright smile graced his face, the young boy positively beaming. "Ryo! Good morning!"

Osamu glared through the crowd at the boy his age rushing to meet them, willing the light to change faster so that they could move on quickly. From the flashy black, navy, and gold uniform to the brush of brown hair above that empty-headed smile, everything about Ryo irritated Osamu. Worst of all, however, was the fact that Ken's eyes would always light up whenever Ryo came around. "If it isn't Mr. Lucky himself. Don't you have anyone else to bother?"

Ryo rubbed the sleep from his bright blue eyes before blinking at Osamu, his mouth turning wry. "Good morning to you too, sunshine." He turned to Ken, his expression brightening. "Good morning, Ken. How far did you get last night?"

"I finally got past that one boss!" Ken said, his voice eager as he swung his bag back and forth. "I had to level up all the way to thirty to do it, but I finally won!"

"Awesome!" Ryo cheered. "I haven't got past him yet, but that's because it took me until bedtime to finally find that secret passage to that chest that was driving me crazy." He chuckled ruefully. "At least I know I can beat him when I get there, since all that searching has me up to 32 already."

"Really!? You found it?" Ken asked as he turned to face Ryo with wide eyes. "Could you show me?"

"I'll show you after school at my house," Ryo said cheerfully. "It's pretty tricky to get. Afterward, you can show me how best to beat the boss."

Osamu grunted, trying not to outright growl at Ryo. "Don't you have someone else your own age to prattle on with yet?"

Ryo looked at Osamu and his eyes rolled upward briefly with a grimace before he set his expression back to normal. "Don't you get tired of saying that every time I hang out with Ken?"

Seeing the light finally change, Osamu walked briskly forward. "I'll stop saying it when you finally leave my brother alone."

Ken glanced between Osamu and Ryo anxiously, walking quickly after his older brother. It always bothered him when Osamu started going after Ryo. Ryo was one of the few friends he had that hadn't yet been chased away by his older brother's _briskness_ , and he always worried that the other boy might one day get tired of it. "I-I... it's fine, I don't mind that he's older than me."

"Of course _you_ wouldn't mind, Ken," Osamu said. "That's not the point."

Ken flinched slightly at Osamu's annoyed tone before he frowned. "...Then what is?"

Ryo made sure to keep pace with the two brothers. "Yeah, just what _is_ your problem with me, anyway?"

Osamu bit back the urge to growl and turned the page in his book. "Maybe if you actually took school seriously for once, you wouldn't have to rely on _dumb luck_ to pass tests."

Ryo sighed and shook his head. "I _do_ take it seriously."

"No you don't," Osamu growled. "You goof off all the time and don't study and you brag about it to everyone. No wonder you can't get any friends your own age. Everyone in class hates you."

"I don't brag!" Ryo said, his face turning hot.

"You do with this carefree idiot act of yours while you goof off with games and run around all the time pretending like you don't even realize how much you're rubbing it in everyone's faces," Osamu snarled as he shot Ryo a glare dripping with venom. "Everyone sees through you and everyone hates you for it and the only one falling for it is my little brother because he's too nice to tell you to shove it."

Ken stared at his brother, aghast. "T-that's not true-"

"Keep out of this, Ken," Osamu snapped.

Ken flinched and came to a stop, hugging his bag closely to his chest.

Ryo's expression skewed with distaste before he leaned in to whisper to Ken. "Did something happen, or did Osamu just wake up on the wrong side of the bed again?"

Ken looked at his brother before he leaned towards Ryo, keeping his eyes cautiously on Osamu. "...You scored higher on the last test." His voice was barely a whisper, kept as low as he could to allow Ryo to hear - and his brother to _not_ hear.

"Oh," Ryo muttered before rubbing the back of his neck.

Ken gave his friend a sympathetic look. "He'll... calm down sooner or later." More than likely _later_ , but they both knew that without him having to voice it.

"If you're going to talk about me behind my back," Osamu said with ice in his voice, "you can at least wait until I'm not around to do it."

Ken jumped with a squeak before he clasped his right hand over his mouth, staring at Osamu with wide eyes.

"We're not talking behind your back," Ryo sighed. "We're concerned about why you're in a bad mood."

"That's none of your concern," Osamu snarled. "We're not friends, so don't even pretend you care about me."

Ken paused before he cast his gaze to the sidewalk, hugging his backpack to his chest as he slowed his steps. "...I care..."

Osamu paused for a moment before resuming his pace. "I wasn't talking about you, Ken. I was talking about the barnacle that's always sticking to your side."

Ken glanced up at his brother as he felt a wave of relief and resumed walking. However, the relief quickly turned to guilt as he glanced over to Ryo. Even though Ryo looked more annoyed than angry, he still felt sympathetic that his best friend was the victim of Osamu's ire.

Ryo slowly shook his head as he kept up with the Ichijouji brothers. He considered saying something to smooth things over between him and Osamu, but he had lost count of how many times he had tried and failed to at least make things tolerable between them, if not pleasant. As he gave Ken a helpless shrug, he suspected that he and Osamu would never get along.

Osamu saw the look his brother and rival exchanged and gritted his teeth. What Ken saw in an idiot like Ryo Akiyama, he would never know.


	3. Chapter 3

Ken was always amazed at the sheer amount of electronics Ryo had in his room, and his house in general. While Osamu had his own computer, Ryo had so much more - several computers, video game systems, television systems, and more. Most weren't even fully assembled, having been taken apart for whatever reason.

The young boy imagined it was all part of being the son of a computer programmer working for the military and a civilian software designer - Ryo was pretty much guaranteed to be incredible with computers.

Unlike him.

"...Thanks for inviting me over," Ken said as he sat on the other boy's bed, his legs dangling over the side as he watched Ryo setting up the game system in front of them. "Osamu has a big test tomorrow, so I would've been kicked out of our room all day."

"It's no problem," Ryo said cheerfully as he worked his way through removing and plugging in wiring with practiced ease. "It's always a blast whenever you come over, you know?"

Ken felt a rush of happiness at Ryo's words, and a bright smile appeared on his face. "I-I'm glad! I always have so much fun with you, Ryo."

Ryo flashed Ken a grin before leaning back as he dusted off his hands. "Okay, we're all set to go. You hit the remote, and I'll put the game in."

"Okay!" Ken said, enthusiastically. He reached for the remote, leaning across the bed. No sooner had his fingers touched the device, the television screen suddenly began to glow gold. The young boy paused and turned to stare at the television, frozen in mid-reach. "Eh?"

Ryo stared at the screen before looking down at the console and the game cartridge in his hand. With a frown, he set the game down. "I must've plugged in a wire wrong," he muttered.

Ken blinked before he sat up again. "I didn't know the TV could do that..."

Before Ryo could dive back into the tangle of wires, the screen changed slightly enough to give him pause. He leaned in closer, eyes narrowing, before his mouth hung open. What he mistook for a pure swath of gold was actually rows upon rows of code written in a miniscule font. "What the…"

Ken blinked and turned to Ryo. "What is it-?"

The young boy couldn't even finish the question, as the glow suddenly flared up brilliantly, engulfing the room in metallic yellow. The entire room seemed to disappear into the light, save for the two human children.

Just as quickly as the light had come, it was gone - and with it, Ryo's room. Frozen in the positions they had been just before the light intensified, both boys suddenly found themselves surrounded by nothing but fluffy white clouds and blue skies, and the ground _far_ beneath them.

"...Eh?" Ken could only squeak, his eyes widening as he stared at Ryo.

There was no further time for the two boys to do anything but scream as gravity took hold and pulled them from the sky.

* * *

Chaos rocked the little Koromon village as music blared through the air, accompanied by off-key singing that bellowed like a bullhorn. The tiny little baby Digimon fled in a panic, many in tears as others tried to protect their ears with their own earflaps as Gazimon chased them about and looted the central storage building of food.

Standing off to the side, on a large metal trailer that opened up to a stage, was a monstrous monkey Digimon - Etemon. He held a microphone in his hand as he belted out the lyrics to accompany the song being blared by the speakers on the trailer, his voice powerful but completely lacking in talent. Even his own lackeys who stood nearby cringed as they covered their ears with their paws, thankful for arms unlike the luckless Koromon.

Just when it seemed like the nightmare would continue, Etemon finally ended his song with a mighty laugh - one just as loud and obnoxious as his singing. "Thank you, thank you~!" The monkey paused when he noticed no one was clapping and his eyes, slightly obstructed by his dark shades, darted over to his lackeys.

The Gazimon flinched and quickly began clapping, uneasy and terrified before their master's stare.

"Now that's more like it," Etemon said with a large toothy grin.

The Gazimon continued to clap even as they glanced at each other with obvious consternation, their enthusiasm anything but genuine.

"Encore, encore?" Etemon cheered as he reared up. "Alright, alright! You got it!"

The monkey Digimon slammed his foot down on the metal stage, which swiftly switched to a new tune. The Gazimon slumped with a groan as their master prepared for the next round of singing.

Just then, the sound of distant screaming could barely be heard above the music. It grew progressively louder, prompting the Gazimon to peer up in confusion just in time for two human children - Ryo and Ken - to appear in the sky.

Etemon took a deep breath before he paused, startled by the screams. He glanced upwards just in time for both of the boys to land directly on top of him. The monkey Digimon let out a startled noise as he was crushed downward, acting like a cushion for the humans. "Byoeaheeyah!?"

The Gazimon were left dumbfounded as they stood around the wide crater where their leader had been standing moments ago. One shoved another forward, who reluctantly peered over the edge to see Etemon sprawled in the ground, arms and legs akimbo, with two human boys starting to sit up on his back.

Ryo rubbed his head, disoriented from the fall and surprisingly soft landing. "What just happened?"

Ken fumbled forward unthinkingly until his hands touched the dirt of the crater. "We… we fell? We're… we're _alive..._?" The whole thing was completely bizarre, as there was no logical explanation for any of it - not for Ryo's room disappearing, not for the fall, and not for the fact that they were _alive_ and apparently _unharmed_. None of it made sense, and it left him reeling just as much as the fall itself had. "What… what's going on…?"

Ryo turned to his friend as he got to his feet. "Ken, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine, I just-" Ken began, his voice trembling. Before he could finish, a loud voice boomed directly behind them.

" _ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_!"

Both Ken and Ryo jerked at the same time and whirled about, eyes locking on Etemon simultaneously as the Digimon shakily sat up, slamming his hands into the ground to brace himself as he glared at them through his broken shades.

"You think you can just ambush the great Etemon and get away with it?" Etemon growled, baring his teeth. "You don't know who you're dealing with!"

"...It's a talking monkey." Ryo said, his voice low.

"... _Ape_ , I think." Ken corrected, eyes wide. "Not that it matters, because it's _still talking_."

Whatever Ryo had been about to respond with was cut off by the Digimon suddenly lunging at them with a snarl, bringing about his powerful arms in an attempt to grab the two boys. " _You little_ -!"

Ken squeaked as he jerked back, his hand immediately going into his pocket. It wasn't a conscious action by any means, more of an instinct as flashes of Osamu appeared into his mind.

 _Osamu caught Ken by surprise when he shoved something into his little brother's hand. "Here."_

" _What's that?" Ken asked, even as he obediently accepted the gift. He looked down at it, then frowned, noting the switch on the side with various settings marked and dual prongs on the top._

" _A stun gun." Osamu said simply._

 _Ken jerked and nearly dropped the device, before he held it tightly with both hands. "W-what-!?"_

" _If anyone ever tries to touch you, use it," Osamu said, his tone authoritative. "I don't care who it is."_

 _Ken blinked repeatedly. "B-but…"_

 _Osamu's eyes narrowed "Do you understand?" His voice was dark, and Ken knew from experience that when the older Ichijouji boy used it, he expected no argument. "Absolutely_ _ **anyone**_ _."_

" _B-but it'll hurt them, won't it…?" Ken asked tentatively, holding the device to his chest._

" _That's the point," Osamu said. "Better them than you."_

" _B-b-but I…" Ken murmured, then flinched when he could practically_ _ **feel**_ _the anger radiating off of Osamu._

 _Osamu leaned in close, his voice as cutting as the edge of a knife. "A kidnapper won't_ _ **care**_ _if they hurt you. A pedophile_ _ **wants**_ _to hurt you. There are sick people in this world who see you as a bag of meat to chew up, sell, and dump in the ocean in_ _ **pieces**_ _when they're sick of you. If you get a bad feeling from someone, put your hand on this, and if they get too close, you_ _ **use**_ _it. Monsters make victims because people like you are kind and hesitate to hurt them. They know this and_ _ **will**_ _take advantage of you. So_ _ **promise me**_ _that you won't give them the chance to hurt you."_

 _Ken was silent for a moment, his expression uneasy._

 _Osamu squeezed Ken's small hands around the black box that seemed so harmless but represented so many dark things. "_ _ **Promise me**_ _."_

" _...I promise." Ken murmured._

Ken could see the exchange clearly in his head, Osamu's words echoing in his ears as he swiftly brought the device about. He jabbed the prongs directly into Etemon's side as he flicked on the switch as high as it would go.

Etemon barely had time to register the poke before a sudden surge of electricity leapt from the device into his body. The Digimon let out a startled shriek as sparks coursed through him, causing him to flash as his fur grew bristled from static. "Eeeyayayaea _eyahehayahaaaa_!?"

Just as soon as the electricity had begun, Ken released the button as he jerked his hand - and stun gun - back. Etemon trembled as he sizzled, smoke rising up out of the top of his head before he collapsed backwards against the ground with a tiny squeak.

Ken blinked down at Etemon, and then at the device. Slowly, it registered what he had done - and more importantly, that Osamu had been right in giving it to him. "...Ah."

Ryo pinched his cheek and winced at the pain. "Well, I know I'm not dreaming, so there's only one thing to do."

Ken looked curiously at Ryo, but before he could ask, his friend suddenly grabbed him by the arm and dragged him along while scrambling out of the crater, away from the still twitching ape.

"Run!" Ryo shouted.

Ken squeaked as he hurried after Ryo, holding the stun gun to his chest. As they left the crater, he turned his head to stare at the Gazimon as the henchmen Digimon gawked at them openly. None dared to get close, or to even pursue the fleeing Chosen as the two left the crater - and the smoking Etemon - behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Ryo and Ken lost track of how far they had run since their first encounter with the strange talking ape. In such unfamiliar territory, one tree looked the same as any other as the grasslands surrounding the Koromon village turned to forest. The fact that there was even a forest at all was beyond baffling, as there was still no explanation for why they were there in the first place.

"R-Ryo, I… I need to catch my breath," Ken panted out as he stumbled after the older boy, his face flushed. He wasn't used to so much running, and the adrenaline his terror created had long since worn off. "I-I don't think… he's chasing us…!"

After an apprehensive look around to verify that there was no one around but the two of them, Ryo slowed to a halt, allowing Ken to rest. "O-okay… okay. Looks like we're in the clear."

Ken took a deep, shuddering breath before he collapsed backwards, landing on his rump on the soft forest floor. The fact that he was even _sitting_ on a forest floor instead of Ryo's bed only added to the confusion he felt. "R-Ryo, what's… what's going _on_ …?"

Ryo sat down as well to recover his energy and his breath. "Okay… if books, anime, and games have taught me anything, we're either in Wonderland, Oz, Narnia, or someplace else like that. Since the only other option is we fell in a sinkhole through my bedroom, through a second sky into a secret amusement park, and we just met the world's worst mascot… I'm going to go with the idea that we're in another world."

"That's…," Ken was about to retort how _impossible_ such a thing was, but the words died on his lips. The earth beneath him felt real, as had the terror he had experienced when the menacing ape man had lunged at them. "...B-but _how_ -?"

Ryo shrugged helplessly. "Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe it had to do with that weird gold code that appeared on the TV just before we suddenly got tossed into the middle of the sky."

Ken frowned. It was so illogical, and yet they literally had nothing else that might explain what had happened - assuming it could even _be_ explained. After several long moments of silence, the young boy turned to Ryo with wide eyes. "How do we get _home_?"

Ryo could only sigh and shrug again.

Ken grimaced and was about to respond when the sound of rustling leaves and underbrush caused him to pause. The young boy's eyes widened as he whirled to stare in the direction of the sound, a chill running up his spine. "Did you hear that?"

Ryo held a finger up in front of his lips before he stood in a tense crouch and inched his way towards the bush. He looked back at Ken and pointed at the stun gun the younger boy still held before he inclined his head at the rustling branches.

Ken swallowed hard as he clutched the stun gun tightly, his hands shaking. His eyes were quite wide as he alternated between watching Ryo and the bush, which continued to rustle erratically.

As Ryo moved to tentatively pull back the bush, he was greeted by the sight of a bizarre yellow animal in red footie pajama pants, with a face that reminded the boys of an armadillo, though his body was stretched out tall and thin into a vaguely humanoid shape. The creature seemed to stare at them without actually opening his eyes and instead let out a scream as he flailed, before a hideous _toot_ issued followed by a thick dark fog.

Ryo jerked back as he was right within range of the sudden cloud, his hands moving to clasp over his face as the stench hit him. Ken was thankfully further back and out of range, though he similarly moved his hands to cover his nose as a precaution.

"O-oh god!" Ryo choked out. "It _burns_!"

"R-Ryo, are you alright!?" Ken asked, anxiously, even as he wisely kept his distance as the smog spread around the older boy before dissipating into the air.

"B-by the gods, Neemon!" another voice choked from within the bushes, followed by gagging and dry-heaving.

Ryo coughed hard, just barely holding himself back from emptying the contents of his stomach, as he staggered back a little more, disoriented by the rancid stench that assaulted him. He barely had the sense to wave Ken further back, lest his friend get caught in the lingering remnants of the odorous assault.

The strange yellow creature stood in confusion, seemingly unaffected by his own bodily stench. He cocked his head ever so slightly. "Oopsie~!"

A shorter critter stumbled away from the lankier one and fell to his stubby knees, clutching his hands over the large gray beak that served as his mouth and nose to no avail. He was more stout than his companion, and reminded Ken of a kappa, but with a cream colored skin and a strange point on his head rather than a bowl, and a wide pink utility belt covering his chubby tummy. "D-disgusting! Ab… absolutely disgusting!"

Ken blinked as he stared at the two, uncertain of how to respond. At the very least, they were much smaller than the enormous ape that had attacked them. "U-um…"

The smelly yellow creature waved a noodly thin hand at the boys, smiling. "Hi!"

Ryo struggled to regain control of his senses as he moved closer to Ken. "Wh-who… what the…?"

Ken glanced at Ryo before he tentatively waved his hand back at the stench monster, his other hand holding his stun-gun. "H-hi…?"

"Hi!" the yellow creature said again in a chirpy voice. "My name is Neemon! Have we met before? I forget."

"N-no," Ken said, feeling rather awkward. "N-no, we haven't." He paused, then lowered his hand. "My name is Ken. Um, pleased to meet you?"

"Hi Ken!" Neemon said as he waved again.

Ken fidgeted in place before he glanced to Ryo as the other boy retreated to his side. The young Ichijouji gestured towards Ryo as he turned back to the Digimon. "A-and this is Ryo…"

Neemon turned to Ryo, still waving. "Hi Ryo!"

Ryo straightened up as he finally started to get his coughing fit under control. "What the heck was _that_?"

"I'm waving!" Neemon said cheerfully.

"W-wait, w-wait! Y-you're the ones! You're the ones we've been-" the other Digimon said as he fumbled over to push Neemon back, regaining his composure. He gave a small cough before he straightened up, giving off the impression of mature authority despite his small stature. "Ahem. I am Bokomon, and this is my companion, Neemon. We have been sent to find you, Chosen Children."

For a moment, all Ryo did was blink as he stared blankly at Bokomon. Eventually, he found his voice again. "Chosen… Children?"

Ken furrowed his brow. "Chosen by who? ...For _what_?"

"ORARARARARARARARARARARA _RARARARARARAAAAAAAAAAA-_!"

Ken, Ryo, and the two Digimon jerked and whipped about just in time to see Etemon bursting out of the bushes and trees, frayed and furious. The ape Digimon's hands were clenched in fists as he raised them skyward, his expression clearly murderous even through his singed sunglasses.

"Crap!" Ryo shouted as he grabbed Ken's wrist and took off in the opposite direction, dragging his friend behind him. "Run!"

Ken could do little more than squeak, eyes wide, as he stumbled after Ryo.

"E-eh? What-" Bokomon muttered before he let out a strangled cry, grabbing his belt to hoist it up as he ran after the two children as fast as his legs could carry him. "W-wait-!"

Neemon flailed his arms and squealed in fear as he ran right on Bokomon's heels. "Wait for Neemon!"

"- _RARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA_ -!"

Etemon's constant screaming was completely uninterrupted as he raced after the fleeing Children and Digimon, as if he didn't even need to breathe due to his insides being made of nothing but hot air.

Ryo, on the other hand, panted hard with exertion the longer the chase lasted, particularly when Ken started lagging behind. Rather than leave his friend to fall, he paused just long enough to get the younger boy on his back so they could both escape - or not - together.

"Bokomon!" Neemon shrieked as his speedy steps wobbled. "Carry Neemon!"

"No!" Bokomon snapped as he huffed and puffed. "C-carry _yourself_ -" The Digimon couldn't even finish the sentence before Neemon suddenly pounced, lunging to land on the squat Digimon's back, clinging to him. Bokomon wobbled, off-balance as he released his belt and flailed his arms. "G-get off, _get off-_!"

"- _RARARARARARARARA-!_ "

Etemon continued his battle cry as he pursued his prey, blasting through underbrush without concern as he closed in on his rapidly weakening targets. Just when it seemed he would overtake them, the ape Digimon was immediately silenced, his scream ending with a startled squeak as a silver gauntlet slammed into his face with a _crunch_ and sent him flying backwards into a tree.

The children and Digimon collapsed to the ground, panting, and turned to stare as a lithe black cat with a fluffy tail landed on the ground between them and their downed foe. She straightened up, giving the gasping children a view of the three small gold stripes under her blue eyes, as well as the larger stripes of the same shade on her sides. She raked her gaze across them, dismissing them almost as quickly before she fixed the fallen Etemon with a stare that held no warmth.

"Shut up," the feline said in a low, dangerous growl.

"W-what-?" Ken murmured before he jerked as someone suddenly passed them, approaching the cat Digimon to stand beside her.

After seeing so many unusual creatures, encountering another human was a surprise to Ken and Ryo, particularly a pretty young girl in an ornate layered black dress with patterned lace and knee-high black boots over black leggings. Her long black hair nearly disappeared into the black of her clothes, but contrasted sharply with her milky pale skin and the hair clip of a gemstone-ringed moon that pinned back her bangs. Over her breast, a series of silver moons stood out nearly as much as the vibrant shade of red of her eyes that turned from Etemon to gaze impassively at the two boys catching their breath on the ground in front of her.

"You can stop running now," the girl said in a voice that would have sounded sweet if it weren't so deadpan.

Ryo looked back and forth between the girl, the black cat, and the fallen monkey twitching on the ground amidst broken branches. "W-who… who are you?"

"Keiko," the girl said.

Ken furrowed his brow and was about to respond when two more individuals walked past him, one looking like a humanoid scarecrow in very flashy wizard clothes with red and flame designs, while the other looked like a human in a witch outfit complete with small black cat.

The scarecrow chuckled as he came to a stop by Keiko. His trench coat had flames along the trim, accenting his primarily red and orange attire. The theme continued through his red large boots and gloves, his orange undershirt, and his red knee-length shorts with orange flame trim. Even the top portion of his cone-like hat looked like it was made out of orange fire. The only parts _not_ matching the scheme were the black belt buckles and goggles on the rim of his hat. "Oi, oi, shouldn't you have learned by now what happens whenever you trespass on Darkness Darlin's territory? Or do you just _like_ bein' beatin' within an inch of your rather pathetic life?"

The witch clucked her tongue and waved a rather large clawed finger in shaped out of long red gloves at the oversized monkey. "Etemon, Etemon, Etemon… Didn't you learn from the last time you got deleted? You really don't have anything going on in that head of yours besides bad music, do you."

Etemon wobbled before he sat up, glaring at the two sassy Digimon. "T-the great Etemon isn't about to be held down by a bunch of _square cats_ -"

"Then how about a _black_ cat?" the cat Digimon asked as she held up her fists, her silver gauntlets glistening in the light.

Etemon jerked with a squeak, his eyes widening as his cracked sunglasses slid down his nose.

"Are you asking Nyamon to hit you again?" Keiko asked as she turned to the monkey. "That's fine with me. I'd like to see how many more teeth her next punch will knock out."

Etemon stared at Keiko in silence before he suddenly stumbled to his feet. He turned sharply on his heels and darted back into the woods, letting out an undignified squeal as he fled.

The black cat, Nyamon, glared after Etemon before she crouched and wordlessly turned to look at Keiko, seeking further instructions. With a slight nod from Keiko, the black cat immediately took off, chasing after the fleeing ape with a snap of her tail.

Keiko waited until Etemon and Nyamon were no longer in view before she turned to the two boys. "Why are you here?"

Ryo blinked, taken aback by such a question. "I don't know. One minute Ken and I are playing in my room, and the next we're falling from the sky on top of a giant talking monkey that wants to kill us…" He paused for a second before looking sheepish. "Oh, my name is Ryo Akiyama by the way."

"A-and I'm Ken Ichijouji," Ken said as he fumbled up to his feet, then dusted himself off. "P-pleased to meet you..."

The scarecrow Digimon turned to eye Bokomon and Neemon. "Let me guess, you were sent to pick 'em up?"

Bokomon grimaced from his position on the ground. "A-and we succeeded, I might add!"

"Oh, is that what you call this?" the scarecrow Digimon asked, with a bright smile and a grand gesture towards both Digimon and the two boys. "I thought it was called 'screaming and running'."

"And flailing!" Neemon helpfully added. "Oh, oh, and don't forget climbing on each other's backs! That's my favorite part."

The witch shook her head as she gave the scarecrow a rueful smile, sitting comfortably on her broom. The Digimon's outfit consisted of a red dress with matching elbow-length gloves, a flowing black cape, and a witch's hat. The ghostly black cat with a distorted lower half rested comfortably on the rim beside a golden buckle shaped roughly like its head, watching Etemon with obvious smugness. "Hard to imagine they're the same rank as us, eh, FlaWizarmon?"

FlaWizarmon turned to grin at the female beside him. "Oh, you know… different purposes, dear Witchmon. You wouldn't send a Numemon to a _fire_ fight, after all."

Keiko ignored the banter as she kept her gaze on Ken and Ryo, her expression inscrutable. "So… you didn't want to leave the real world?"

Ryo blinked, startled by such a question. "Uh… no. Why, did you?"

"W-wait, 'real world'?" Ken repeated. While he and Ryo had been discussing it, the thought was still a little difficult to take seriously. For Keiko to confirm it so casually was more than a little startling. "S-so this really _is_ -?"

Keiko pulled a small rectangular device seemingly made of gray plastic and directed its small screen and buttons towards the two boys. "Go home."

Neither Ken nor Ryo had a chance to react as both suddenly felt an unseen force slam into them. The world around them melted into flashing colors and what appeared to be computer code that flew by at a maddening pace. Just as quickly as it had happened, it was over and both boys found themselves getting thrown unceremoniously out of Ryo's television set back in his room.

Ken yelped as he hit Ryo's bed, the mattress providing a soft cushion as he bounced, landing on his stomach. The small boy took a moment to recover as he blinked blearily, staring at his surroundings as though he had never seen them before, even though they were all too familiar to him. His lips moved mutely at first, his head too full to describe the experience they had just gone through, before he finally gave up with only a meek sound. "Ah?"

Ryo stared up at the ceiling from where he landed on the cushions on the floor that he had prepared for the two of them to rest on while playing video games in what seemingly felt like ages ago, even though he knew it couldn't have been longer than half an hour. Seconds ticked by almost as long, as words simply failed him. Eventually, he slid his wide, disbelieving eyes to Ken, half fearing his friend would not be there when he did. He was relieved to see Ken just as baffled as he. "Did… did that really just happen?"

Ken rolled over to look at Ryo, his eyes incredibly wide. He could only stare at his friend for a long moment before finally speak again. "I have _no_ idea."


	5. Chapter 5

Ken sat on Ryo's bed, watching the other boy as he thoroughly examined his television screen, going so far as to even check behind it with a flashlight. Ken didn't blame his friend, as he was similarly still confused and frazzled by what had happened only moments before. The very idea of going to a different world was far too fantastical to be believed, and his doubts about what had happened grew with each passing minute back in the real world.

In fact, the only thing that kept Ken from outright dismissing what happened as a bizarre hallucination or dream was his stun gun. He had checked the battery to confirm that it had been used - it was no longer fully charged. It was the only physical evidence he had to confirm that _something_ had happened. After all, he had used the stun gun to shock the psychotic singing ape man.

"I just don't see anything," Ryo muttered as he stepped back, clicking the flashlight off. "There's _nothing_ that'd explain what happened."

"Maybe it… _wasn't_ just a shared hallucination," Ken said, tentatively. Such an admission seemed ridiculous, but he also couldn't deny the evidence in front of them. "I mean, your mom would've heard me using my stun gun, wouldn't she?"

Ryo ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at the television and gaming system, both of which he turned off for the moment. "If we were magically transported to another world and back, then there wouldn't be any evidence of it we could tell, I guess… and my gut is telling me it really did happen." He let his arms hang limp at his sides as he turned to Ken. "But no one is going to believe it for a second."

Ken nodded slowly, then grimaced. "Osamu'd just… say I had too much sugar, or blame you for the video games. He'd try harder to make it so I couldn't see you, because you're a 'bad influence'."

A heavy sigh made Ryo's posture wilt a little. "Of course he will." He paused for a moment to give Ken a lopsided grin. "You know, now that the shock is wearing off, I'm actually feeling pretty disappointed right now."

Ken blinked at that. "Disappointed?"

Ryo laughed a little. "I know, I know, it sounds dumb when we were just running for our lives, but still… It's just like out of a video game, wasn't it? A couple ordinary kids like you and me get sucked into another world that needs us as its chosen ones to save it from a big terrible evil. It sounds like the adventure of a lifetime, doesn't it?"

Ken tilted his head as he considered what Ryo said before he gave his friend a sheepish grin. "Yeah, it kind of does. I mean, they even _called_ us Chosen. But then it just… _ended_."

"Maybe it's because that girl got there to be the chosen one before we did and called dibs?" Ryo joked with a shrug.

Ken nodded slowly before frowned. The idea of being special was really appealing. It would've been _something_ that made him stand out against Osamu, even if only in his own mind. "Now I'm feeling kind of disappointed, too."

"Oh well," Ryo sighed. "Nothing we can do about it, I suppose. It's not like either of us knows how to open portals to other worlds."

Ken nodded. "Yeah, we-"

The words died in Ken's throat as a flutter of light caused him to freeze and turn his attention to the television as it flickered on by itself. Before his eyes, the static on the screen was soon completely snuffed out by a golden radiance that lit up the entire room. "Ah?"

Ryo's eyes widened as panic struck him like a sledgehammer to the back. "I take it back! I take it ba-"

Before Ryo could even finish his sentence, the entire room disappeared, replaced with open sky once more. It barely registered to either boy what had happened before they once more found themselves toppling helplessly downward from the stratosphere, with nothing they could do but scream as an endless field of blue and white flew past them at dizzying speeds.

The second fall was just as terrifying the first time they experienced it, as nothing but sky passed them by as they zoomed downward towards the ground far below. The fact that they had survived the fall the first time was of little reassurance as the ground charged towards them at breakneck speed.

* * *

Loud music blared through massive sleek speakers surrounding a makeshift stage at the heart of a cozy Digimon village, the rhythmic beat echoing through the air as Etemon's voice assaulted all available ears - including those of his own henchmen. Unlike everyone around him, Etemon was relishing every note of his magnificent voice, clutching his microphone tightly enough to leave divots in the metal as he wailed the lyrics to his song. To him, he was crooning the most magnificent concert to ever grace any ears and made all who heard it weep at its beauty; to others it was the most horrific off-key screeching to assault them and was worse than cramming steel wool into their ears until their heads burst. Even his minions prayed for the agony to end, as the Gazimon held their paws over their ears and contorted in pain, helplessly watching as their leader gave his awful concert with no sign of stopping.

Nearby, Digimon of all shapes and sides fled as best they could, hiding in buildings or anything that could remotely shield them from the wretched sound. Those with hands were fortunate, able to guard their ears as they ran away, while those without could only cringe and whine plaintively in helpless suffering.

The ending of the song was the only reprieve the poor Digimon had, as Etemon paused to sigh in contentment before tilting his head back to let out a mighty laugh. "Oh yeah, oh _yeah_! I am on _fire_! No one can compare to the great Ete-"

A loud scream interrupted the ape Digimon, prompting him to pause and look up just in time to see Ken and Ryo falling from the sky right before the duo landed on him. Etemon let out a startled, high-pitched shriek as he collapsed against his stage, which cracked and splintered beneath his body as he was hit by the force of the boys' fall.

By the time to smoke and dust cleared, the stage had split in half around a crater, with the fallen Digimon at the center as he acted as a landing cushion for the two stunned - and completely unharmed - boys.

"R-Ryo…?" Ken asked shakily as he crawled on his hands and knees, struggling to reach solid ground as he tried to gather his bearings.

Ryo groaned as he pulled himself upright. "I'm fine. I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

Ken shook his head slowly. "That's-"

" _You bastards_!" Etemon bellowed, causing the two boys to jump and whirl to stare as the Digimon sat up harshly, baring his teeth as he glared at the human boys with murderous eyes. "You think the Mighty Etemon is your personal landing pad!?"

"Crap, not again!" Ryo shouted as he snagged Ken by the wrist before bolting away from the angry ape. " _Run!_ "

Ken yelped as he scrambled after Ryo, panic flooding his face. "A-again!?"

"You aren't getting away _this_ time!" Etemon snarled as he jumped to his feet, then raced after the two boys. " _Orarararararararara_!"

"This is crazy!" Ryo blurted out while he tried to focus on keeping him and Ken ahead of Etemon. "Is he the first boss we're supposed to defeat or something?"

Ken stumbled after Ryo and glanced back at the furious ape Digimon even as he reached into his pocket to grasp his stun gun again. He didn't get the chance to fully recharge it, but he was confident that it should still have enough left to give the Digimon another _zap_ if necessary. "H-how? _How_ are we supposed to fight _that_?"

Ryo glanced back at the giant ape charging after them and the snarling expression that promised nothing but pain and worse. "No idea!"

"This ain't gonna be no fight!" Etemon snarled as he shook his fists at the children. "It's gonna be a _funeral_ \- _your_ funeral!"

Ken yelped as he fumbled to pull his stun gun out. However, he never got a chance to finish retrieving the protective weapon before chains shot out of the air in front of the boys at high speed. The bands of metal curved unnaturally around the human children, just barely missing them and startling the two enough to force them into a jerking stop and stare at the blur of chains passing their faces by inches.

Etemon wasn't anywhere near as lucky as the humans he was hunting. He barely had time to realize he was charging directly into an attack before the chains struck, piercing his body in a dozen places. As the chains tore his body apart from the inside out, a shriek nearly as awful as his singing erupted from his throat as blood and bits of his body erupted into square-shaped particles that floated away into the air to disappear into the ether.

Ken stood completely rigid, his eyes as wide as dinner plates as he clutched Ryo's hand for dear life in one hand, and the stun gun with the other. A tiny sound eked past his lips, ending on a questioning note, but he couldn't manage to do much more than stare as Etemon's body broke down and disintegrated unnaturally before their eyes.

Ryo could barely comprehend what he was watching; Etemon was evaporating like water on a hot skillet before their very eyes, and even the blood that the chains spilled left no trace behind on the ground. Before he knew it, he was left staring at empty air, still trying to process the fact that Etemon had dissolved into nothingness.

Ken quivered before he turned to stare at his friend. "W-what just happened-?"

Ryo couldn't speak; he could only stare at the empty space where Etemon used to be.

The two boys continued staring in silent confusion until a dark shadow fell upon them and compelled them to turn just as a deep voice rumbled behind them. "It appears we have a problem here."

As one, Ken and Ryo let out startled cries and instinctively clung to each other as they faced the large figure looming over them. It was an angel clad in leather and countless chains, with long black hair that billowed in the breeze, brushing up against his massive black wings. His eyes were a vivid shade of sky blue that scrutinized the boys and seemed to pierce straight through to their very souls.

"E-eh? Ah," Ken gaped at the angel, his face pale. "A-ah…"

"Wh-what the…?" Ryo muttered, unable to look away.

A click drew the boys' frightened gaze to what the angel held in his hands - an ordinary pen and clipboard. The dark angel jotted down a note before glancing over his shoulder at someone approaching from behind him. "Higashi, deal with the children. I've appeared to have traumatized them when I dispatched Etemon."

A long-suffering sigh came from behind the dark angel, as a second angel, one with a significantly brighter and more welcoming appearance appeared by the first's side. Wearing long white robes with gold trim, the lighter angel had white wings and long blonde hair. The only similarity between the two were their blue eyes, though his were more gentle as they looked over the two human children.

"Are you alright?" Higashi asked as he knelt down in front of the boys. "Are you hurt?"

Ryo shook himself out of his stupor to focus on the far less intimidating angel before him. "Um… could someone please explain what's going on?"

Ken simply gaped at Higashi, still holding on tightly to Ryo. His words completely failed him.

"It seems as though you've been pulled into our world," Higashi said, before he furrowed his brow. "Again."

Hesitantly, Ryo nodded. "Yeah…. but can you tell us _why_? And if not, can you explain, well…" He threw his arms out to his sides in a broad, sweeping gesture. "… _Everything else_?"

Higashi let out a frustrated sigh. "That, even we don't know the answer to. We didn't call you in, and you don't appear to have been in grave enough danger to call _yourselves_ in." He paused for a moment to check the children over again for verification before offering the boys a smile. "But I will certainly answer whatever questions I _do_ have the answers for."

"Um… okay," Ryo muttered. "Where are we and why are there talking apes and cats and angels and other weird things in this place?"

"You are in the Digital World," Higashi said. "And those are Digimon. Digimon come in a wide variety of forms, limited only by human imagination. You'll find that we all talk, think, and feel like you - we just look different, that's all."

"Human imagination?" Ryo repeated.

Higashi faltered before he chuckled. "Yes, well, it's a bit hard to explain. Just know that Digimon come in all shapes and sizes, and we'll leave it at that."

Ryo scratched his head. "Okay… then, are you going to send us back home again?"

"No," the dark angel said as he finished dashing something off on his clipboard before clicking his pen. "Whatever has been summoning you repeatedly to our world will likely bring you back again. It's far more efficient to simply take you someplace safe, and will lessen the risk that you'll cross Etemon's path a third time."

The memory of the giant monkey disintegrating made Ryo grimace. "So… so you didn't kill him?"

The dark angel silently looked at Ryo before turning his stoic gaze to Higashi.

Higashi scratched his cheek as he frowned. "What Zennyu means is…" He trailed off for a moment before he appeared to recover. "Death for Digimon isn't nearly as permanent is it is for you humans." Almost immediately he regretted his phrasing, and he held his hands up as though to ward off any dangerous result. "Don't get me wrong, it's certainly unpleasant and painful, and should only be done as a last resort!" He waited for a moment before he reluctantly lowered his hands. "But in _most_ cases, a Digimon will… _reform_ after a certain amount of time has passed. While Zennyu _did_ kill him, Etemon will be his old self soon enough." In that instant, his worry evaporated as his expression and voice deadpanned. "Unfortunately."

"Oh," Ryo said after a moment. "You mean… kind of like a video game?"

Zennyu smirked. "A fair enough analogy, only this game involves quite a bit of pain and far more danger for the two of you than anything else in this world."

Higashi glanced at Zennyu, exasperated, before he sighed. "Etemon and his 'friends' have made themselves a nuisance for the surrounding villages, and so far have been undeterred in continuing their poor behavior, _despite_ paying the price _multiple_ times. There's something to be said for his _stubbornness_ , and no small amount of _pigheadedness_."

"So does that mean Keiko was after him when we met her?" Ken asked, his voice soft as he stayed close to Ryo.

Zennyu nodded. "Periodically Keiko and her partner Nyamon will hunt down the Digimon who are being more problematic and causing others to suffer. Digimon like Etemon fail to learn their lesson even with death and rebirth as their teacher, it would seem."

Ken frowned as he took a moment to digest the information the angels had given him before he spoke again. "Well, he at least learned enough to know to _run_ when he saw her…"

Higashi blinked at that before he chuckled. "Well, I suppose that's an improvement. He might actually learn something, someday."

"Will miracles ever cease," Zennyu said dryly.

Ken looked at the two angels before he turned to Ryo. After a long moment of silence, the younger boy furrowed his brow and returned his attention to the two angels. "Just where are you… going to be taking us? If not home?"

Higashi smiled reassuringly at the small boy. "The safest place in our world, where you'll be taken care of until we can figure out what's happening to you."

"And where is that?" Ken asked, anxiously. The idea of not being able to return home was distressing. Osamu got angry enough at him for being a couple hours late. With the way the angel talked, it sounded like their stay would be much, _much_ longer than _that_. His brother was _not_ going to be happy, to say the _very_ least.

"To the realm of the gods," Higashi said, with an air of reverence. "The Crystal Tower."


	6. Chapter 6

In the splendid halls of the Crystal Tower, word spread fast about the two new human children who had entered the Digital World. Practically every Digimon in the place made sure that the one child that had been there for years heard all about it over and over again.

Keiko watched from the upper landing overlooking the entryway to the tower as Higashi and Zennyu brought the two wide-eyed children in. The two new Chosen Children were thunderstruck by the fact that the palace was literally made from crystal, some clear, some so frosted it was impossible to see anything but its color, but all of it carved ornately and adorned in only the finest decor.

Keiko had long since gotten used to the Crystal Tower's splendor and focused intently on the two children meandering in the lavish entrance hall. The smaller one in particular was troubling for the way he clung to the older boy, as though trying to disappear behind his back.

"What are their names?" Keiko asked quietly, so that her voice wouldn't echo off the high ceiling and reach the boys' ears. She had no intention of letting them know she was watching them.

Witchmon hovered on her broomstick not far behind Keiko and giggled through a mouth full of razor sharp teeth lined in black lipstick. "Kindness, Ken Ichijouji, and Miracles, Ryo Akiyama. Cute, aren't they?"

Keiko let out only a quiet grunt in answer as she watched the boys a moment more. She could easily guess that the wilting flower was Kindness and the leader with the wild mop hair was Miracles.

"It does explain how they keep showin' up," FlaWizarmon said as he leaned against a pillar, his hat tilted downward to cover his face. "Miracles, an' all that."

Nyamon flicked her ears as she watched the two boys stumble about the room like gawking tourists, then furrowed her brow. "I guess they'll be staying here until Zennyu can figure things out. They're going to get killed if this keeps up."

Witchmon leaned in closer. "Shall we go down and make a proper introduction this time?"

Keiko's grip tightened on the railing as she watched the boys, warring between a myriad of complex emotions. Finally, she let go and turned sharply on her heel. "We don't have time. We've still got to clean up the rest of Etemon's mess."

FlaWizarmon glanced over to Witchmon, who met his smirk with a smile of her own. "You got it, ma'am."

* * *

Without Etemon, the remnants of his army offered no real resistance. Gazimon fled in all directions, scattering with their tails between their legs as Nyamon moved towards them. She paid the fleeing Digimon no mind as she headed straight to her target - Etemon's traveling stage.

Just before reaching her destination, Nyamon dashed forward at blinding speed and jumped high into the air before she did a flip that turned her into a blur of black and silver. The claws of her gauntlets tore through the platform and into the mechanical inner workings like it was made of cardboard, sending pieces flying in all directions. The screeching crunch of metal was nearly as loud as the explosion it made.

When the smoke died down, only Nyamon was left standing at the center of a charred plot of land, surrounded by dissipating black streams of data.

FlaWizarmon grinned as he idly tossed a flame at a gawking Gazimon, sending the Child Digimon fleeing. "Well, _that_ should keep Etemon busy for a while… at least until he finds a new stage."

"I wish I could say the same about his stint in the Dark World," Witchmon sighed, cupping her cheek with one large hand. "Last time it only took him a month to be reborn. Sometimes I think Tenraimon is way too nice not to let us snatch them up after they get back to the Village of Beginnings."

"When he sins again, we'll send him back to hell," Keiko said as she watched the last vestiges of the stage disappear into nothingness.

"He thought he was so clever, just 'cuz he found a way to escape," FlaWizarmon said with a snort. "Broken or not, the Dark World'll still do a good job of punishing him every time his butt gets sent back there!"

Nyamon nodded before she paused, her ear flicking. At that moment, a burst of movement caught her eye and her tail snapped upward just in time to smack away a sudden blow of a guitar as it swung down at her.

Kyoumon landed on the ground, his feet squeaking as his bells rattled. The Digimon huffed before he pointed his guitar at Nyamon. "No fair, _no fair_! How did you hear Kyoumon when he was being sneaky?!"

"Speaking of Digimon who don't learn," FlaWizarmon said as he chuckled, pulling down on the brim of his hat.

Nyamon didn't respond, instead pointedly ignoring both Kyoumon and his outburst. She kept her back to him, giving him the cold shoulder.

Such blatant disinterest only served to infuriate Kyoumon even more. The Digimon growled as he swung the guitar he held.

"Rudemon! Kyoumon will show you!" the Digimon snapped before he lunged again at Nyamon. "Ka _bong_!"

Without even turning to face Kyoumon, Nyamon's tail flicked up to block his strike. As Kyoumon swung erratically at her, the cat Digimon's tail swished about to deflect each and every one - _without_ Nyamon so much as giving him a glance.

Kyoumon paused as he dropped heavily to the ground, panting as he lowered his guitar, face flushed with effort and irritation. "R-Rudemon must be getting tired by now, but Kyoumon's still ready to go!"

Nyamon snorted, crossing her arms as her tail gave a sharp snap.

"He never stops trying to be your rival, does he?" Witchmon asked as she hid a smile behind her hand.

Nyamon rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

Keiko walked to Nyamon's side, her expression inscrutable. "Kyoumon, did you hear about the two new humans that just arrived?"

Kyoumon jerked before his ears pricked up, turning to stare at Keiko with wide eyes. "Eeeh? New Humanmons?! Kyoumon did not hear!" With a small puff of smoke, the puppet Digimon's guitar disappeared as he clapped his hands together, rearing up on his tail as it hoisted his little body upward. "Tell Kyoumon, tell, tell!"

"They're at the Crystal Tower," Keiko said. "Why don't you go there and see if they want to play with you?"

"Crystal Tower…," Kyoumon hummed thoughtfully as he tapped his chin before a bright smile appeared on his face. "Kyoumon knows where that is!" He let out a playful giggle before he flapped the tiny cloth wings on his back. The ragdoll Digimon whipped about on his tail before curling it up like a spring, catapulting himself forward - and away from Keiko and her Digimon companions.

Nyamon finally turned to watch Kyoumon, her eyes following the other Digimon as he disappeared into the woods. She blinked before she turned her gaze to Keiko. "He's going to be a complete and total nuisance."

"I know," Keiko said before she began to walk off. "Come on, we've still got a lot of work to do."


	7. Chapter 7

Ken looked about in amazement as he followed after Ryo, who in turn trailed close behind their guides. Higashi and Zennyu led the procession, walking side by side as they headed deeper into the incredible building. After them came Bokomon and Neemon. Bokomon walked forward with dutiful, dignified steps while Neemon wobbled about as if his legs were made of jelly and were simply incapable of propelling him in a straight line.

Ryo couldn't stop staring at the two smaller Digimon, still amazed by the fact that they were interacting with walking, talking, sentient beings that were unmistakably not human - unlike Zennyu and Higashi, who could have been mistaken as such if not for the wings. Bokomon reminded him strongly of a kappa with a pointed skull instead of a bowl, and Neemon was pretty much a walking rag doll with a fox-like head.

"It's really incredible," Ken whispered as his eyes glanced about the hallway, taking in every glisten and glimmer of crystal architecture.

"Yeah, you said it," Ryo muttered, his eyes still focused entirely on the Digimon in front of them.

"The Crystal Tower is the pillar of our world," Bokomon said, with great reverence in his voice.

"It really for realsy does!" Neemon said, brightly before he made a gesture as if stabbing something. "Like, pow! Goes _right through_! Like meat on a stick!"

Bokomon's cheek twitched as he glanced at Neemon, less than pleased with his rather undignified comparison. "As a result, it's only fitting that the Digi-Gods would house their most loyal servants here."

Ryo finally pried his eyes away from the inhuman Digimon to the architecture. "It's like it's made of glass," he muttered. Tapestries, carpets, and portraits made from more mundane materials stood out starkly against the crystal, creating an otherworldly canvas that made him and Ken feel as though they were walking through a dream.

"While it might look fragile, it's actually nigh indestructible," Higashi said as he glanced back at the humans, giving them a smile. "And it's quite safe to touch, so please don't be afraid."

A thoughtful hum rumbled in Ryo's throat as he followed his curiosity to a vase in the corner to poke one of the delicate crystal flowers blooming there. He expected something harsh and brittle, but the petals were as cool and smooth to the touch as a real rose. "What the? It's soft! How's that possible?"

"The reality of the Digital World is far more flexible than the one you come from," Zennyu said as he made a note on his pad. "Crystals that vary greatly in texture and density are hardly the most unusual things you'll find here."

"Is this where we're going to be staying, until you figure out what's happening?" Ken asked, furrowing his brow.

Higashi nodded. "That's right. We'll give you your own rooms, and Bokomon and Neemon will be taking care of your meals and anything else you'll need."

" _I_ specifically will be tending to your food," Bokomon said, with great pride in his voice. "You'll find the food I make to be _quite_ enjoyable, I'm sure."

"I can help!" Neemon squealed as he wobbled his arms in the air like streamers. "Food is so yummy!"

Bokomon immediately reached over to pinch Neemon's cheek, twisting it like silly putty. " _Ahem_. Do you recall what happened the _last time_ we allowed you to cook?"

Neemon yelped and flailed his arms about as his face stretched to comedic proportions. "Ehhhh?"

Bokomon's own cheek began to twitch again, a bit more prominently this time, as he slowly twisted Neemon's cheek back and forth. "Do _not_ tell me you forgot the _unnatural disaster_ that you inflicted upon our guests - and _everyone else_ , for that matter!"

Neemon tilted his head slightly, his cheek stretching out even further. "Huuuuuuh?"

Bokomon grit his teeth before he yanked sharply. "I spent _days_ scrubbing the _smell_ out of the whole tower!"

Neemon squeaked in pain and flailed again as his mouth was stretched wider than his head normally was under Bokomon's harsh pinching punishment. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Ken stared at Neemon and Bokomon before he side-eyed Ryo, keeping his voice the barest of whispers. "S-so, we… should avoid the kitchen if Neemon's in it?"

"And fifty meters around it at least from the sounds of it," Ryo muttered back.

The sharp click of Zennyu's pen snapped Bokomon's attention back to him. "Before the children get settled in, there is an important introduction that needs to be addressed first."

Bokomon paused at that before he quickly released Neemon, whose cheeks audibly snapped back into place. "Of course, of course! As you say, good sir!"

Zennyu's intense red gaze fixed on Ken for just a moment before he turned away. "Follow me."

Ken stared at Zennyu as the dark angel began to walk away, his eyes going wide. He hesitated before he instinctively reached over to grab Ryo's sleeve. "M… me?"

Zennyu stopped instantly. He clicked his pen twice before he gazed over his shoulder at Ken. "You're about to witness the birth of your partner, Ken Ichijouji. Bring company along if you wish, but this moment is meant for you above all."

"My… my partner?" Ken repeated, confusion very clear on his face. He glanced to Higashi, who had a reassuring smile on his face, before he turned to Ryo with wide eyes. "R-Ryo…"

"What do you mean by birth?" Ryo asked, mouth skewed slightly. "Are you giving Ken a baby pet or…?"

"No. _Not_ a _pet_ ," Higashi said, firmly. He then paused and softened his expression, trying to put the anxious little boy at ease. "It's better for you to see for yourself. It'll be much easier than trying to explain. I assure you, it's nothing to be afraid of."

"Your partner is exactly that," Zennyu said. "They are every bit as sentient and capable of emotion as you. They have a soul, and whether they flourish and become strong or suffer and wither away is entirely due to _your_ whims."

Higashi paused at that before he huffed, glancing at Zennyu. "He's already frightened, Zennyu," he said, his voice low. "We don't want to terrify him even more."

Zennyu let out a huff of air as he clicked his pen, his eyes sliding to Higashi for a moment before he looked down at the children. "Nyamon is Keiko's partner. Seek out advice from them if the concept is too much for you to understand now."

Ken blinked at that. "Wait, so… it's a Digimon?" At Higashi's nod, the young boy's brow furrowed. "I… still don't understand, but… I'm going to meet a baby Digimon. That's… basically what you're saying, right?"

"A very _special_ baby Digimon," Higashi said before he gestured down the hall. "Let's go, alright, Ken?"

Ken glanced between Higashi and Zennyu before turning his attention to Ryo, his confused face clearly seeking reassurance from the elder boy. "Ryo…?"

Though Ryo felt at a loss and knew that he should've been wary, the memory of Nyamon and Keiko's relationship helped him remain optimistic. There was also something about the idea of a partner that filled him with a warm flutter of excitement in his chest. "It can't hurt to meet them, right? Making new friends is always a good idea, and Nyamon was pretty cool, don't you think?"

Ken considered that before he nodded. "Y-yes, that's… that's true."

Higashi's smile widened as he saw the panic slowly disappear from Ken's face. "That's right, it'll be fine. And they'll be very glad to meet you."

Ken turned to look at Higashi, then glanced at Ryo again, before he finally resumed walking, though tentatively as he kept his grip on Ryo. He was relieved to see the other boy automatically begin walking with him, signalling his willingness to stay with Ken. "O-okay…"

Zennyu watched the two boys follow Higashi with an unreadable expression. After they disappeared around a corner, he dashed down something onto his notepad before giving a sharp click of his pen. "Prepare their rooms for them."

"Of course, sir!" Bokomon said with a sharp salute.

"Kay~!" Neemon said with a dopey smile.

Zennyu didn't bother looking back at the two diminutive Digimon before he departed as well.


	8. Chapter 8

If Ken and Ryo had thought the rest of Crystal Tower was large, the auditorium Higashi brought them to blew those initial assumptions away and then some. The room opened up around them like a grand cathedral, the ceiling stretching high above them. The space was far too large for such an empty room, devoid of anything except fifteen strange pedestals scattered about in a circle. Each pedestal bore a symbol that neither child recognized, and most of them were completely empty.

Of the fifteen, only five had anything on them - large eggs in strange colors and patterns, resting on pillows. There was a cerulean blue egg with gold dashes that resembled the letter V, a dark green egg speckled with red and black triangles, a light purple egg with deep red patches, a darker purple egg with black spots, and a white egg decorated with pink hearts. None of the designs were naturally possible in the real world, but they most certainly didn't look like paint even from a distance.

"Are they… Digimon eggs?" Ken asked curiously as he snaked his head to look.

"Yes," Higashi said, with a nod. He gestured his hand towards the other eggs as he passed them by. "Each one is a partner to a Chosen Child." He then came to a stop beside the white egg with hearts, which sat on a pedestal decorated with a symbol that strongly reminded Ken of a pink rose. "This egg is _your_ partner."

"Mine?" Ken repeated, staring at the egg. "How do you know?" Even as he asked the question, something about the egg just felt right - as if he knew Higashi was telling the truth. It felt as if there was no way the egg _couldn't_ be his.

"We know because the gods made them for you," Zennyu said as he entered the auditorium. "Tenraimon herself put her all into their creation, and Narakumon granted them his blessing. The third and final blessing is yours to give, to help them grow beyond any in the Digital World."

Ken hesitated, only partially paying attention to Zennyu. The urge to reach out and touch the egg was almost overwhelming and, in the end, that was precisely what he did. Slowly, he reached up to brush his fingers gently against the surface of the egg, absently tracing one of the hearts. It felt warm to the touch, and pleasant in a way that he couldn't describe. "My egg…"

A loud cracking sound made Ken jerk to attention, yanking his hand back in shock as he feared he had done something wrong. The young boy stared as cracks appeared across the egg before the shell burst into pieces, revealing the occupant inside - a small, pale green creature with black beady eyes, cat-like ears, and a long tail that curved upward over its head before taking the form of a leaf. It had a pink pacifier in its mouth, seemingly appearing from nowhere.

"E-eh? Ah?" Ken froze as he stared at the creature, uncertain of what to do. "What…"

The little creature's black eyes shone bright like pearls as he spoke in a very childish but delighted tone. "Hello, Ken! I'm so happy to finally meet you."

"Oh? Um," Ken tilted his head as he stared at the small Digimon before a small smile appeared on his face. "H-hello…"

"My name is Leafmon," the little Digimon said in a voice as pure as spring rain. "Let's have lots of fun together from now on, okay?"

Ken felt increasingly at ease at the sight of Leafmon, as his previous anxiety all but evaporated. His smile grew wider before he moved to pick up the tiny Digimon, taking him out of the remnants of his egg and off the pillar. Though the creature looked like it was made of jelly, it was soft and warm and gave him the feeling of holding a kitten or puppy, only without fur. "Y-yes… let's… let's do that, Leafmon!"

Ryo couldn't help but gawk at Leafmon. "That's what baby Digimon look like? And they can _talk_?"

"Unlike humans, Digimon receive knowledge from the world itself upon their birth," Zennyu said as he took notes. "As they grow and evolve to their more mature forms, they receive even more information to better utilize their bodies and the world around them. These Digimon here are special because they are given information about you, among other things."

"All Chosen Children have a Digimon partner," Higashi said with a nod. "Who will protect them and care for them like no one else can."

"Chosen Children…," Ryo muttered, still feeling like they were in a video game. As he examined the room and all of the eggs and empty pillars, a new stirring of excitement bloomed. "So which one is mine?"

At Ryo's question, Higashi physically jerked before a grimace appeared on his face. Discomfort rapidly took over the angel's face as he glanced between Ryo and Zennyu, then looked away. "Ah, that's… I..."

"He was stolen," Zennyu said, his words coming down on Ryo as hard as a hammer.

"S-stolen!?" Ryo sputtered.

Ken turned to stare at Zennyu and Higashi in confusion before his eyes widened. "Wait, so… all the empty pedestals… those eggs were _stolen_!?"

"...All but Nyamon, yes," Higashi said, his voice soft and apologetic. "The facility where they had been created was attacked, and… many of the eggs had been kidnapped before we were able to repel them." With a sigh, he shook his head before he the looks on the children's faces made him hasten to amend his statement. "W-we are actively pursuing them, however! Keiko is most certainly doing her best, as are the rest of us, and it's only a matter of time before all the eggs are recovered!"

Ken furrowed his brow and glanced to Ryo, feeling a pang of sympathy for the other boy. Somehow, the idea of the eggs being kidnapped felt _painful_ , despite only having now met his own partner. He then turned back to Higashi, considering the angel's words. "...Keiko was after that ape man… was he the one to steal the eggs?"

"No," Zennyu said, "but we suspect he is a subordinate of the culprits behind the theft. Regardless of his connections, his destructive behavior is inexcusable and needs to be punished."

"Whether he is associated with them or not, he will be punished every time he misbehaves," Higashi said with a nod.

Ryo grimaced, his stomach churning. "Why would he keep doing bad things if he knows he's going to get _killed_ every time?"

Zennyu gave Ryo a flat look. "Because he's an idiot."

Ken paused at that before he face-faulted. "...I can believe that."

Ryo grunted as he rubbed the back of his head. "I guess that makes sense…" He paused to look around the room. "So what about the rest of these eggs? Are we going to wait for the rest of the Chosen Children to show up and hatch them?"

"No," Zennyu said. "The children will arrive upon their own discretion. Or at least, that was the idea. Things are not quite going to plan, as I'm sure you're both well aware."

"So the eggs are just going to sit here and wait?" Ryo asked, frowning.

"They are to be… moved," Higashi said slowly. "To someplace else, for safekeeping." When Ken turned to look at the angel in shocked confusion, Higashi quickly lifted his hand. "That is not to say that Crystal Tower is not safe! It's simply a precaution. They will each be sent to a place where _only_ their Chosen Child can call them from. This will _guarantee_ that there will not be a repeat of… what happened."

"There are too many Digimon who are desperate to covet your power," Zennyu said, his voice grave. "They will do whatever it takes to get it, including doing harm to you and your partners. Your partners are your responsibility, and they are your sword and shield. It is a bond that must never be perverted."

Ryo swallowed a dry lump that formed in his throat. "So that means…" He couldn't finish the thought, too frightened to consider what evil creatures might do to an infant as harmless looking as Leafmon. "He's being… tortured right now? To get to me?"

"We can't be certain of that," Higashi said softly. "At the very least, we know he has not been killed. If he had been, he would have been reborn and appeared before you now."

Ryo blinked, startled, but still no less troubled. "Huh?"

"It is the blessing of Narakumon," Zennyu said. "Your partners are exempt from the normal laws of death in this world. There will be no judgement, no delay. Should they die protecting you, you will be the force that brings them back. Their lives will only end permanently when yours do; their strength comes from you, which is why they must protect you at any cost."

Higashi grimaced as he eyed Zennyu, his expression exasperated. "Zennyu…"

"They…," Ryo faltered, unable to finish his thought as he felt utterly overwhelmed by the enormity of the responsibility laid out before him.

Zennyu looked from the unnerved children to Higashi then rolled his eyes towards the ceiling with a sigh before making another note.

"It's more than just self-preservation," Higashi said, solemnly. "They are meant to be a companion, a _friend_ that you can depend on. They care for you and wish to protect you, and Narakumon's gift allows them to do that without fear for their own safety."

"Don't worry, Ken," Leafmon said as he gently nuzzled his partner. "I just want to be by your side and see you smile, so don't be scared."

"B-but, wait, Ryo doesn't have anyone to protect him, then," Ken said as he glanced to Ryo, then back to the angels. "If he doesn't have his partner-"

"Thankfully, Ryo's power is… unique in that he can seek aid from _other_ Digimon besides his partner," Higashi said. "While you can only lend your power to Leafmon, Ryo can lend _his_ power to whoever he wishes."

Ken blinked slowly. "But why…?"

"Because he is the Chosen of Miracles," Higashi said, as if that explained everything.

"What does that mean?" Ryo asked, still uneasy from Zennyu's earlier words.

"It means your power is the power of Miracles," Higashi said. "You can make things happen that no one thought was possible, not even in the Digital World."

Ryo stared at the angels, utterly at a loss. "So… I can do the impossible… in a world full of impossible things?"

"Precisely," Zennyu said.


	9. Chapter 9

"And _this_ is where you will be saying, young Kindness," Bokomon said as he opened the door with a flourish, pushing it so that both Ken and Ryo could stare inside. The door exposed a bedroom, with an enormous plush bed covered that was far too large for such a small boy. The room had other furnishings typical of a bedroom, such as a dresser, vanity, and nightstand next to the bed itself.

It reminded Ken of a luxurious hotel room he had seen in the movies, though there was lack of a balcony - or any windows at all, for that matter.

"I-it's so huge," Ken muttered as he held Leafmon to his chest.

"And your room is next door, young Miracles," Bokomon said as he turned to point down the hallway at the door directly to the left of Ken's. "You will find that they are identical, save for the clothes stocked in the dressers." The kappa-like Digimon puffed his chest up in pride. "I made certain to pick clothes that are not _only_ in your size, but should match your tastes as well!"

Ken turned to stare at Bokomon, his eyes widening. "R-really? But how would you know?"

"Hm-hm-hm~!" Bokomon grinned as he continued to puff and posture. "I would not be much of a servant to the DigiGods if I could not manage at least _that_ much!"

"Yeah, he read Zennyu's notes really close!" Neemon said cheerfully.

Bokomon paused at that before he whirled to Neemon, his face turning red with mortification and anger. "Y-you are _always_ saying unnecessary things!"

Neemon tilted his head. "Ehhh?"

Bokomon pushed Neemon harshly out the door, stomping after him. He glanced back at the Chosen, even as he continued to forcibly escort the noodly Digimon out of the room and down the hallway. "Please, take a moment to relax, and rest assured that you are protected within these walls."

Ken watched Bokomon retreat with Neemon, a bit dazed. "Um, s-sure..."

Ryo reached up to scratch at his scalp in befuddlement, then turned to the door that supposedly lead to his own room. He approached it slowly and turned the knob, peering inside to find a room identical to the one Ken had. "It's a nice room, I'll give them that."

"Even so, it's going to be really strange sleeping here," Ken said before he turned to look at the other boy. "Are we… really going to be staying here? We really aren't going home?"

"It doesn't sound like we _can_ ," Ryo said, with a shake of his head. "That gold light's just going to keep grabbing us and pulling us back."

"I wonder why," Ken said, furrowing his brow. "What _is_ it?"

"Who knows?" Ryo said with a shrug before he rubbed the back of his head. "Man, my parents are going to _freak_ … I wonder if there's a way to get a message to them so they won't worry." He paused before his face contorted into a grimace. "Though, thinking about it… an explanation probably wouldn't help at _all_. They'd just freak out even _more_."

Ken went quiet at that as he looked down at Leafmon, his arms protectively cradling the tiny Digimon. His expression grew pained as he lowered his head. "My parents won't even notice I'm gone."

Ryo paused at that before another grimace marred his face, this time in sympathy for the smaller boy. "I'm… sure Osamu will notice."

"No, he won't," Ken said, softly but firmly. "He's too busy studying. If anything, he'll enjoy the peace and quiet without me around to bother him."

"You're not an annoyance, Ken!" Leafmon said, squirming in his partner's' grip.

Ken paused at that before he looked away, staring absently into his new bedroom. "No one'd miss me."

" _I'd_ miss you!" Leafmon said, with clear conviction in his voice.

Ken glanced down at Leafmon, a small smile appearing on his face - not strong enough to reach his eyes, but still present. "...Thank you, Leafmon…"

Ryo stood awkwardly, at a loss for how to comfort Ken. There weren't any words he could say that could help the situation, as they both knew that was all they were - words. He shifted his weight from foot to foot before he gave a helpless shrug. "Well, with our bedrooms being next to each other, it just means you won't have any trouble finding me if you need me. If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"

Ken nodded at that before he turned his small smile to the elder boy. "I will. Thank you, Ryo."

"No problem," Ryo said, raising his left hand to give Ken a small salute with his pointer and middle finger before he allowed his hand to drop uselessly to his side. He watched as the Chosen of Kindness slowly shuffled into his room, then offered the dejected boy a smile. "Good night, Ken… and Leafmon!"

"Good night!" Leafmon chirped.

"Good night," Ken said, before he closed the door behind him.

* * *

The night sky stretched far around Ryo, disappearing over the horizon and no doubt continuing onward after that. It was completely different than Tokyo, where skyscrapers and other buildings obstructed the view as their lights drowned out the stars. Without any noise or visual pollution, Ryo was able to enjoy the view in peace, with only the occasional sound of insects chirping to break the silence.

It made it all the easier to feel infinitely small beneath the cosmos.

"Can't sleep?"

Ryo paused at the sudden voice and turned to see Higashi looking at him, the angel standing in the doorway leading out to the garden so that the faint light cast a glow on his gentle, concerned face. After a moment of dumbfounded staring, he blinked a few times before turning away.

"Y-yeah, I guess," Ryo said, with a sigh.

"Don't worry, we will do everything in our power to keep you safe," Higashi said as he approached the human child, moving to stand beside him at the railing. "Tomorrow, we'll take you to a nearby village to pick up a bodyguard. We have a very dependable volunteer who will protect you until we get things sorted out."

Ryo nodded absently at that before he looked out past the horizon. "Is there any way to contact my… _our_ parents? To let them know we're okay?"

Higashi blinked before he turned his own attention to the distant sky. "We could, yes, but it'd only serve to confuse them. We should have this resolved within a few days, so it will seem to them that only a few minutes has passed."

Ryo jerked at that before he turned to stare at Higashi. "What?"

"Currently, the Digital World's flow of time isn't synced with that of your world," Higashi said, turning to offer the human child a reassuring smile. "You needn't worry about your parents - there won't be enough time for them to notice anything amiss."

"So even though _hours_ have passed, and it's already practically midnight…" Ryo trailed off.

Higashi nodded, with a smile. "Not even a minute has passed in your world."

Ryo blinked repeatedly as he stared at the angel, then turned his attention back out across the balcony. "W-wow…"

"Indeed," Higashi agreed.

Ryo went silent for several moments as he watched the stars in the sky, digesting what he had just discovered. After a considerable amount of time had passed, the dubbed Chosen of Miracles turned to the angel once more. "Do you think you'll be able to find my partner?"

Higashi paused at that, before he looked away. After a moment of silence as he considered the question, the angel turned back to Ryo with a soft smile. "Yes, it's only a matter of time. I'm sure that he will seek you out, one way or another. It'll be less a matter of the two of you finding each other and more dealing with those trying to stop you."

"Good," Ryo said, his voice soft. His eyes dipped downward towards the ground, though it was impossible to see through the darkness. "It's so weird. I've never even met him, and didn't even know he existed until now. But now that I know he's in trouble, I…"

"That's to be expected," Higashi said, his expression sympathetic. "You two are connected, after all."

"I hope we find him soon," Ryo muttered.

"As do I," Higashi agreed before he straightened up. "But for now, I suggest you go to bed. You must be exhausted. Leave the worrying to us, and take care of yourself. You will need your rest, as it'll be a very busy day tomorrow."

"I guess you're right," Ryo said with a sigh before he turned about, heading towards the doorway. His body was quickly beginning to agree with the angel Digimon, his movements sluggish and heavily. There really wasn't much point in resisting, so it was simply better to take the Digimon's advice - especially with issue about their parents resolved. "Good night."

"Good night, Ryo." Higashi said.


	10. Chapter 10

As Ryo and Ken arrived at the little Digimon village, both were struck with its size and how quaint the buildings were. It was considerably smaller than even one of the numerous districts that made up Tokyo, let alone the city in its entirety. The village felt more like a single neighborhood with little white houses surrounded by picket fences, reminding Ryo strongly of the old-time television shows from America that he had watched growing up - one of the many perks of living on an American military base for most of his childhood.

Of course, none of those television shows had a multitude of Digimon greeting them with their gawking eyes.

Ranging from little blobs and flowers to insects and beasts, Digimon of all shapes and sizes watched as Ryo and Ken approached with their entourage of Higashi and Zennyu, followed by the far less impressive Bokomon and Neemon.

"They're all Digimon?" Ken asked, his voice low as he held Leafmon protectively in his arms. "They're all so different."

"Digimon can look like anything!" Leafmon said, brightly. "There's no limit at all!"

" _Anything_?" Ken repeated, incredulous. "Anything at…" An unexpected sight made his question dissolve into the ether as his eyes settled on what appeared to be a large pile of yellow poop with eyeballs, eyes, and a long pink tongue. His body went rigid, skidding to a sharp halt as he gawked at the Digimon that looked like a pile of feces.

"Yes," Zennyu said, reaching down to physically turn the boy's head forward, causing the boy to instinctively begin moving forward again. "Anything at all."

Ryo had to look twice at the giant poop Digimon to verify that he hadn't in fact been seeing things. Once he was sure of what he saw, he chose not to look a third time. "Digimon really are made up of computer data alright."

"Y-yeah," Ken agreed, somewhat disoriented as he continued away from the strange feces Digimon, with Zennyu's hand guiding him onward.

Eventually, the entourage arrived at the center of the village, where most of the Digimon huddled about in barely restrained curiosity. Waiting for them was the surprisingly most normal looking Digimon by far, as his appearance seemed like something they'd actually see in their world - an orange lion cub with bright blue eyes and a wild tuff of red hair on his brow, with a golden collar sporting a teal-colored opal. _Unlike_ their world, however, the lion cub was capable of speech, proven when he came forward.

"Welcome to our village, Chosen Children," the lion cub Digimon said, his voice childish and yet carrying an undertone of maturity. "I am Leollmon."

Ryo felt it a tribute to his ability to adapt that a talking lion cub didn't startle him for more than a few seconds. "Hello. I'm Ryo Akiyama, and his is my friend Ken Ichijouji."

"P-pleased to meet you," Ken said, with a small bow.

"It is my pleasure," Leollmon said with a bow of his head. "I have volunteered to act as your guardian while you are in our world. I swear that I will ensure your safety with my life."

"You'll be in good hands," Higashi said as he looked down at Ryo, smiling. "Leollmon is the best fighter in the village."

"Hah!" a voice growled, rough despite its high-pitched childish qualities. "What a load of _bullshit_!"

The humans and their entourage turned to stare, as did the rest of the village, as a small green goblin-like Digimon stepped in to the central plaza. He had a red mohawk, fanged overbite, and wore a brown leather vest and tattered shorts with a loincloth. He twirled his wooden club before slinging it over his shoulder, then flicked a thumb back towards himself. "How the hell is that mangy cat the best fighter in the village when _the great Goblimon_ is _right here_?"

The assembled crowd stared at Goblimon, who stood proudly, puffing out his chest. Silence reigned for several moments as everyone stared at the green Digimon, before Zennyu impassively gave his pen a click as Leollmon's expression deadpanned.

Ryo couldn't help but be reminded of some of the random encounter enemies from his RPG when looking at Goblimon. "Uh… nice to meet you?"

Goblimon flashed his teeth at Ryo in a macho smile. "You're damn right it is!"

Ken furrowed his brow before he glanced at Higashi, who looked more exasperated than anything else. "Um…"

"Yes, well, _regardless_ ," Higashi said, obviously choosing his words with care, before he turned to the human children. "Leollmon will ensure your safety, so you can rest easy knowing that you are in good hands."

Leollmon approached Ryo and smiled up at him. "It is my honor."

"Thanks," Ryo said as he smiled just a little more easily at Leollmon than Goblimon.

Goblimon's cheek twitched as he glared up at Higashi. "Ora ora ora! So what's all this crap about _him_ getting honors and not the great Goblimon!?"

Leollmon paused at that before he rolled his eyes. "I _volunteered_. You did not."

"What's that got to do with anything!?" Goblimon demanded. "You think that just because you act like a do-gooder, that means yer better than me!?"

"Not at all," Zennyu said in a dark tone. "The fact that Leollmon is unlikely to accidentally get his charge _killed_ is what makes him the superior choice."

Goblimon bristled. "The hell you say-" He turned his glaring eyes to Zennyu before he paused, realization dawning on who he was addressing as Zennyu gave him a piercing stare. The goblin Digimon wilted under Zennyu's eyes before he quickly turned to face a safer target - in this case, Leollmon. "I can kick your ass any day of the week, cat!"

Higashi let out a heavy sigh before he turned away, facing Zennyu. "Well, now that this is settled, shall we return to the Crystal Tower? There, you can…" As his eyes strayed from his partner, his voice tapered to a halt before his eyebrows shot up to his brow.

Zennyu noticed Higashi's change in demeanor immediately and glanced behind him to see the source, which prompted both humans to do the same.

Standing at the entrance to the village was a humanoid Digimon draconian features. While she looked mostly human, it was impossible to ignore the pointed horns that stuck out of her long, wavy purple hair or the gold-scaled wings and tail that adorned her backside; nor could they mistake the third eye sitting on her brow, golden in color in comparison to her two purple ones. She wore a long robe of white with golden trim, with a large purple triangle across her chest with smaller golden ones on either side beneath it, Floating around her in slow circles were three golden orbs, glowing like miniature suns.

The newly arrived draconian angel Digimon met Zennyu and Higashi with a cool stare before she shifted her focus to the two children, who in turn gaped up at her. Her expression never changed as she stared at the Chosen of Miracles and Kindness, completely impassive, before she returned her attention to the two avatars.

"C-Cassandramon," Higashi said, after he struggled to find his voice. "It's… been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"It has," Cassandramon replied.

Zennyu narrowed his eyes at the newest angel. "What has fate decreed this time?"

"Huh?" Ryo blinked at Zennyu. "Fate?"

Higashi turned to offer Ryo an awkward smile. "Cassandramon is… well, a sort of seer. She can see visions of the past, present, and future."

"When it suits her." Zennyu said, his expression still hard.

"Higashi," Cassandramon said, her tone devoid of emotion. "What you described is not 'sort of' a seer - it _is_ a seer."

Higashi paused before a mortified blush appeared on his face. "A-ah, yes, that's… true."

"You mean you're a fortune teller?" Ryo asked, curiosity piqued.

"I suppose," Cassandramon said, rather blandly. "I see many fortunes, good and ill."

"What future are you tipping the scales to favor this time?" Zennyu asked with an edge to his voice.

"Zennyu!" Higashi whispered, harshly.

Zennyu only briefly glanced at Higashi before returning his focus to Cassandramon. "Higashi, you know as well as I that Cassandramon _never_ goes anywhere for mere socialization. She only appears to influence the future she favors most."

"Zennyu is correct," Cassandramon said with an owlish stare at the dark angel. "It is my right as the Avatar of Huanglongmon to do with my visions as I see fit."

"So… you came here to change the future?" Ryo asked hesitantly.

"We all change the future from every second to the next," Cassandramon said.

Ryo blinked, staring blankly at the three-eyed angel.

Zennyu narrowed his eyes. "You didn't answer my question, Cassandramon."

Cassandramon turned her attention to the Chosen Children. "Go to the mountain that pierces the sky. There, you will find the darkness."

"W-w-wait, wait, wait, my lady!" Bokomon said, raising his hands wardingly. "We are here simply to ensure Sir Miracles is protected! They will not be engaging in any dangerous activities, of that I assure you!"

Cassandramon stared down at Bokomon, who flinched beneath her unblinking stare. "If they do not, they will never go home."

Higashi gave a start. "What?"

Zennyu clicked his pen and dashed down a note. "Delightful." He turned to the children with an expression of stone. "It would seem that you will be going into battle sooner rather than later, Chosen Children. Prepare yourselves."

"Wait, _what!?_ " Ryo sputtered as he moved closer to Ken. "Battle? We can't fight!"

"I will protect you," Leollmon said, with a determined expression. "I swear to it!"

"Don't worry, Ken!" Leafmon said. "I'm here to protect you, too!"

Ken stared down at his partner as a sick feeling flooded his stomach. "But…"

"Cassandramon has never lied," Higashi said, his voice soft. "If she says that this is the only way for you to return home, then it's the truth." He sighed and reached up to rub his forehead. "It seems that whatever is calling you to our world can't be resolved without your help…"

Ken stared up at Higashi, then turned to Ryo. "S-so we really… won't ever be able to go home if we don't…?"

Cassandramon turned to stare at Ken, her three eyes focusing on him. An ephemeral vision appeared over the small, frightened child - of an older child with spiked dark blue hair, wearing a blue jumpsuit with white trim and golden shoulder pads attaching a matching blue cape with gold trim to the boy's body. His eyes were obstructed by the large golden glasses he wore with blue frames, but his expression no doubt mirrored that of the small boy it rested on top of.

The draconian angel's expression didn't change as she looked over to the avatars as they watched her closely. "That is correct."

"I won't let that happen," Ryo said, stiffening his stance. He needed to be brave not just for his sake, but for Ken's as well. "Let's go."

Zennyu cast a narrow gaze at Cassandramon. "Higashi and I will accompany the children unless it will impede their best possible future."

"It would," Cassandramon said, her words as blunt as a stone hurled at his face.

Higashi paused at that before his eyes widened. "You… you're not seriously suggesting that we just allow the children to wander around-"

"You may fuss over them as much as you like after the journey, should you still feel the need to do so," Cassandramon said as she glanced upwards, staring at the sky. "But for now, it would be best to let them learn to walk on their own."

"For now," Zennyu repeated with an icy tone.

"For now," Cassandramon said, still staring upwards.

Ken blinked before he furrowed his brow, then glanced upwards himself. "What-"

"Ka- _BONG_!"

Ken heard the shout and gave a jerk, just in time to feel something whiff past his face. The Chosen of Kindness gaped as the ground suddenly exploded in front of him, a small crater being created by a large guitar being swung downwards like a sledgehammer.

Kyoumon stood at the end of the guitar, and he turned to flash the gaping Ken a grin. "Hah-ha! Too slow, too slow~! Kyoumon almost got you, Humanmon~!" The plush Digimon lifted his guitar, holding it threateningly, his grin cheerful. "You're nooooothing like _Rudemon-_ "

Ken reacted instinctively, his hand gripping his taser and whipping it out with lightning-fast reflexes that he hadn't been aware that he had. He promptly jabbed the prongs into the plush side of Kyoumon, and the taser did the rest of the work.

Kyoumon let out a squeal as electricity coursed through him, causing his hair to stand up on end as he went completely stiff. He flashed violently, similar to Christmas lights as he flickered green, red, and blue before collapsing in a heap on the ground with a discordant clang.

"Ru… de… Hu… man… mon… " the puppet sputtered before he spit out smoke, then promptly went limp.

Ken gaped at the stuffed Digimon, then at his taser, before he whirled to stare at the others, horror on his face. "I-I didn't mean to-! I just… it just happened!"

Ryo lifted his hands placatingly. "It's fine, it's fine! I mean, he did just try to _attack_ you, so…"

Leollmon nodded. "That's correct. If he was willing to attack, then he must also accept all consequences of that decision."

Goblimon stared down at the twitching plush Digimon. "T-the hell…"

Higashi blinked slowly before he let out a sigh. "Well, I… suppose you're not as defenseless as first thought."

"W-wow, Ken! That was _amazing_!" Leafmon said, staring up at his partner with wide eyes.

Zennyu said nothing, instead giving his pen a click before he proceeded to write on his clipboard.

"How shocking," Cassandramon said, her tone completely monotone.

Everyone - from the Digimon villagers to both human children and their entourage - turned to stare at Cassandramon, who stood impassively as she stared down at the twitching Kyoumon. She remained that way for several moments before she seemed to notice the gawking stares she received, and only then did she look up to give a slow tri-blink.

"What?"


	11. Chapter 11

The climb up the mountain was long and arduous on uneven and at times loose ground - nothing like a walk through the city on smooth paved streets. Ryo tried not to let on how tired he was by the time their little group reached the summit, as Ken was even more exhausted than he.

Ken, to his credit, did his best to keep up with Ryo without complaining - even if he wanted to. His body greatly protested all on its own, but he wasn't about to verbalize any of it. Instead, he all but collapsed against a rock once they reached their goal, panting heavily. It was a while before took a weary glance around. "W-we made it…"

Ryo let out a sigh and sunk to the ground, breathing heavy. "Let's… let's take a break here for a sec."

Ken nodded, shakily. "Y-yes… thank you..."

"G-goodness!" Bokomon said as he leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees to support himself as he panted. "W-when I volunteered to act as Lady Tenraimon's rep-representative, no one told me there'd be so much… _physical activity_ involved!"

"Wheeeee~!" Neemon squealed as he ran through a nearby field of wildflowers, sending a blizzard of petals flying in his wake.

"H-how can he have so much energy after such a climb?" Ken asked, somewhat desperately.

"I-idiots always have energy to spare," Bokomon grumbled under his breath.

Leollmon glanced at the exhausted children before he proceeded to survey their surroundings. As a trained warrior, he fared the climb far better than the others had. "Please rest for a moment. I will stand guard."

"Thanks, Leollmon," Ryo said with a weary but grateful smile.

Ken leaned back against the rock as he sat, gently lowering Leafmon so that the baby Digimon was sitting in his lap. "Whew…"

"You did great, Ken!" Leafmon said, even as he watched his partner with open concern. "If I had legs, I'd carry _you_."

Ken cracked a small smile as he glanced down at his partner. "I-I appreciate the thought, Leafmon."

Leafmon returned the smile with one of his own that made his eyes sparkle like starlight.

Ryo glanced over at Leafmon and Ken, then furrowed his brow before turning to Bokomon as the Kappa-like Digimon gently sat down. "I was wondering. All Digimon have 'mon' at the end of their names, right?"

"Y-yes, that's correct," Bokomon said with a nod.

"Well, what about Higashi and Zennyu?" Ryo asked. "Neither of them have 'mon' in their names."

Ken blinked at that before he turned to Ryo. "T-that's right!" The Chosen of Kindness paused before he frowned. "Does that mean they're not Digimon?"

"Oh. no no no," Bokomon said as he waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing like that. They're most certainly Digimon - albeit _highly revered_ Digimon. They are simply nicknames that they gave each other when they were young, that's all."

"Nicknames?" Ken repeated, slowly.

"Yes, indeed!" Bokomon said as he crossed his arms and appeared thoughtful. "Very strange, as you might imagine. Most Digimon don't see much need for names, let alone nicknames. I am, after all, Bokomon - as is every other Bokomon that might exist in this world. I see no reason to distinguish myself from the others."

"Then why are Higashi and Zennyu using nicknames?" Ryo asked.

Neemon suddenly lunged forward, flopping over Bokomon's head as he flailed his noodly arms like a pair of carp streamers caught in a hurricane. "Oh! Oh! Oh! I know this one!"

"Neemon?" Ken blinked as he lifted his gaze to the energetic Digimon.

"It means they go together like cookies and milk!" Neemon said excitedly. "Like salt and pepper! Fish and chips! Blood and guts! Christmas and cake! Like Neemon and Bokomon!"

Ken stared at Neemon before he let out an awkward laugh. _"Blood and guts?"_ he thought before he shook his head to clear it. "So that must mean…" he said aloud, "they're very close!"

Bokomon's expression deadpanned as Neemon flopped over on his head, still waving noodly limbs about. "Yes, that would be the implication."

Ryo let out a quiet hum. "So what're their real names?"

"Sir Higashi is actually Sir Metatromon, while Sir Zennyu is Sir Samaemon," Bokomon said, matter-of-factly. "Though most simply call them by their chosen names. I dare say they rarely react to anything else at this point."

"Like an old married couple~!" Neemon said, brightly.

Ken blinked at that. "What does _that_ -"

" _Leo Claw_!"

The human children and the Digimon around them looked up sharply as the shout pierced the air, followed by the sound of clattering claws striking a hard surface.

"W-what?" Ken squeaked out as he scrambled to his feet.

"Ken! That was Leollmon!" Leafmon said, his expression going fierce. "He must be fighting someone!"

Ryo hesitated before he glanced back at Ken, even as he rushed forward towards the sound. "Ken, stay back! I'm going to take a look!"

Ken faltered as he stared after Ryo, watching as the boy rushed off without waiting for a response. "Eh? But…"

"Oh dear, oh dear…" Bokomon said as he stayed beside the Chosen of Kindness, pacing back and forth was he was torn between two instincts - to stay by Ken and out of danger, or follow Ryo who was heading straight into danger.

"Whee!" Neemon squealed as he chased after Ryo, arms flapping in the breeze. "Adventure time!"

Bokomon jerked at the sound of Neemon running off. "Wait, you idiot, you-!" he began, but it was too late as the noodle Digimon rushed after Ryo without a care. The Kappa Digimon grit his teeth before he hurried after, anger clear on his face. "You'll get Sir Miracles killed with your stupidity!"

Ken gaped after Bokomon as he rush after the others in an attempt to stop Neemon, then glanced down at Leafmon in his hands. The baby Digimon still glared off at the distance with his aggressive expression.

The Chosen of Kindness furrowed his brow, then looked back up before he too hurried after Bokomon. Even if Ryo had told him to stay behind, he couldn't just wait and worry about what would happen to his best friend. If he could be of any help at all, he wanted to be there for it. "I'm coming too!"

As Ryo rushed towards the sounds of battle, he soon came upon Leollmon crouched and growling as he faced down a new Digimon - a humanoid man with enormous arms and legs, bat wings, and horns while wearing what appeared to be a tattered black devil suit.

"I suppose congratulations are in order. Few have ever been able to detect me before I wished it," the Digimon said, with a sneer that showed off his sharp vampiric fangs. "Though it won't do you much good."

"Save your congratulations _and_ your threats, Devimon," Leollmon said, baring his own teeth. "You will not harm the Chosen Children!"

The sight of what appeared to be a literal devil sent Ryo screeching to a halt not far behind Leollmon, eyes wide and gawking. "What the…?"

A sudden cry startled Ryo and he whipped about to see Bokomon flop on top of Neemon, tackling him so that they both hit the ground.

"You little nuisance!" Bokomon said, furiously, as he tugged on the captive Neemon's ear. "You can't just-" The Kappa Digimon trailed off before he looked up, then jerked at the sight of Devimon. The color drained from his face as he scrambled back, getting off of Neemon as he crawled backwards on his hands and feet. "What-what-what-!?"

Neemon waved from his prone position. "Hiiii Devimon! Are you here for adventure too?"

Devimon regarded the terrified Bokomon and oblivious Neemon as if they were insects, with a sniff of his nose, before he batted them away as he would flies. Both were sent flying with a cry, landing a distance away in a crumbled heap.

With that, Devimon turned his attention to Ryo and the approaching Ken. "How _interesting_. Two Chosen Children, _completely_ unprotected... delivering themselves directly to my doorstep." The devil Digimon's grin returned with full force as he lifted his arms up threateningly. "I would be a poor _host_ not to _receive my guests_!"

"Ohhh boy," Ryo muttered as he took a step back. Everything from Devimon's appearance to his mannerisms radiated power, leaving him feeling like a field mouse that just charged at a bear.

Ken came to a stop by Ryo, gawking up at Devimon. "Is… is that the Darkness that Cassandramon told us about!?"

"Gotta be," Ryo muttered, unable to take his eyes away from Devimon.

"I will defend them with my life!" Leollmon snapped, his ears canting back as he placed himself between the human children and Devimon.

"Which will be cut _tragically_ short!" Devimon replied, with a laugh. "For you, _and_ them!" With that, the evil Digimon lunged forward to strike at Leollmon.

While Leollmon tried to brace himself against the blow, his valiant efforts were for naught. While a trained warrior, he was still just a child Digimon and could not withstand the strike from the much stronger Adult Digimon. With a strangled cry, the lion cub Digimon was thrown sideways, striking the ground roughly.

Ken and Ryo both stumbled back as Devimon continued onward, lunging towards them. Ryo reached over to shove Ken out of the way, but while the action did keep Ken out of striking range, it also drew Devimon's attention to the smaller - and therefore weaker - human child.

Devimon flashed Ryo a wicked smirk before lashing out with his deadly claws towards Ken.

"Stay away from Ken!" Leafmon demanded before he leapt to intercept the approaching adult Digimon - only to be batted away like an insect.

"Leafmon!" Ken yelped before he rushed towards his partner, then jerked back as Devimon chopped his massive right hand downward, purposely missing the human to block his way.

Ken gasped and stumbled back from the terrifying claw before he whipped out his taser and pointed it at Devimon.

Unlike the previous victims, the devil Digimon had enough good sense to jerk back from an unknown attack. He narrowly missed getting jabbed by the prongs, causing the device to snap and spark angrily in the air with no target in range.

Ken held the taser tightly, still holding the button down as he stared at Devimon as the Digimon reared up and regarded him as one would appraise whether a bug was venomous or not. The Chosen of Kindness panted for breath as fear gripped him so tightly that even his lungs clenched, and the cold, calculating stare slithering across his shivering body didn't help in the slightest.

"So it would seem even the tiniest of you can hide something... surprising," Devimon said, lowly. "I'll remember that."

Ryo groped blindly to seize Ken by the shirt while keeping his gaze fixed on the massive evil Digimon before them. Curses hissed under his breath as he could barely hear Devimon's wicked chuckle over his heartbeat thundering in his ears. The monster was toying with them, he knew, and as he tried to pull Ken further away, he caught sight of Leollmon crawling out of the crater that the lion's own body dug into the ground from the throw. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one to notice Leollmon's recovery, as Devimon swiftly backhanded the lion into the boulder, shattering it to pieces with Leollmon, who howled in pain before going still once more.

Bokomon and Neemon would be no more help than Leollmon or the unconscious Leafmon, the two quivering as they clung to each other, staring at the evil Digimon in outright terror. Ryo realized that there was no one left who could fight.

They were going to die.

Devimon barely uttered a single syllable to gloat before a flash of black fur followed by a feline foot suddenly slammed in his face, sending him flying backwards. Nyamon flipped in the air before she landed on the ground in front of Ken and Ryo, staring hard at the devil Digimon.

" _All_ humans are full of surprises," Nyamon said, with a snap of her tail. "Don't ever assume based off appearances."

Keiko emerged from behind an outcropping of rocks and trees to approach even steps and clenched fists, her eyes sharp as nails. "So you're the one who has been hunting for the Chosen Children."

"Well, ya found 'em!" FlaWizarmon said as he walked behind Keiko, his expression surprisingly casual with his arms crossed. "So, now what? Did ya even think that far?"

"I doubt he did, dearie," Witchmon said with a giggle as she sat hovering on her broom behind FlaWizarmon, covering her mouth with a large hand. "They never do."

Devimon grunted as he got to his feet, then gave Nyamon - and Keiko - a murderous stare. "If you had been even a moment slower, you would be the only Chosen Child left alive on this mountain."

The tension in the lines of Keiko's face fractured in the form of a terrible smile as she pulled out her Digivice. "Thank you for your confession. Now you will be judged."

Nyamon began to glow before the light of evolution overtook her. The black cat Digimon disappeared in the light, to be quickly replaced with an angelic woman with long black hair and matching black wings. The pelts of many beasts wrapped around her body in a murderous shroud and her bleached white skin was marked in intricate lines of black where it was exposed. The upper maw of a great cat with rows of long sharp teeth was her hood, obscuring the upper half of her face behind black fur and glowing blue flames in the dark hollows where the skinned cat's eyes should have been. The gauntlets she had worn as Nyamon had grown much larger, and now covered her human hands, which she held up threateningly.

"Primal Angewomon!"

Devimon stepped back as he grimaced, staring down the Complete Digimon even as she moved forward. "You know as well as I that this will be just a temporary setback!"

Keiko ran her thumb across her neck then jerked it down it towards the ground. "Guilty."

Primal Angewomon fanned her wings before she lunged towards Devimon, slashing at him with her claws as a blue glow engulfed them. "Kaiser Execution!"

Devimon could merely grunt as the claws impaled him, the blue energy turning to flames that incinerated his body into data.

Ryo slowly calmed his trembling as he watched Devimon disappear. Weakly, he smiled at Keiko, who now turned their way. "Th-thanks. You saved us again."

"T-thank you," Leafmon said as he limped over, somewhat groggily. While having just regained consciousness, he was more desperate to return to Ken's side than to worry for his own well-being.

Ken stared as the bits of data that used to be Devimon drifted upwards, his hand still holding the button on his taser that sparked and sputtered ineffectively in his grasp. After a moment, he lowly lifted his finger, causing the device to stop crackling. His grip continued to relent until the device fell from his limp fingers, hitting the ground with a clatter. The sound seemed to shatter him from his shocked stupor, and the realization of what had just happened what _nearly_ happened - flooded through him and overflowed. Massive sobs shook Ken's body as he fell to his knees, wailing as tears stained his cheeks. While it sounded like he was trying to speak, none of the words could make it through his bawling, and came out as only more sobs.

"Oh, oh no, Ken!" Leafmon wailed, flailing his leaf about. "What's wrong? Are you hurt? D-don't worry, I'll protect you!"

"Oh Ken…" Ryo muttered before he knelt down to pat Ken on the back. "H-hey, don't cry. We're all okay, right? Nothing bad happened."

FlaWizarmon and Witchmon both paused to blink, then glanced at each other.

"Oooooh dear," Witchmon said.

"Yyyyep." FlaWizarmon agreed.

The rigidness of Keiko's expression crumbled quickly in the wake of Ken's tears. Without a word, she crossed what had been a battlefield only moments ago to crouch beside the sobbing child. She hesitated a moment more, watching as Ryo and Leafmon tried in vain to console Ken, before she pulled the younger boy into her arms and started to sing a sweet, soothing song.

Primal Angewomon de-evolved back to her Adult form, Nyamon, and slowly approached her singing partner. She glanced at the distraught boy, then helplessly watched Keiko as she sang her melody.

Ken hiccupped among his tears, trembling as he clutched Leafmon to his chest. It was only then that his words began to become clear. "I-I w-w-want m-my b-b-b-brotherrrr…"

"Ken…" Ryo murmured, at a loss.

FlaWizarmon and Witchmon glanced at each other before they moved to join the crowd, their expressions wry and sympathetic.

"There, there, Ken-chan," Witchmon said as she ruffled the boy's head, even as he continued to cry in Keiko's arms. "It's okay."

Leafmon blinked at that before he turned to stare at Witchmon from his perch on Ken's shoulder. "Ken… chan?"

"Adding 'chan' at the end of his name means we like Ken a whole lot, dearie," Witchmon said with a wink.

Leafmon blinked again before he nuzzled into the crook of Ken's neck. "Ken-chan, it'll be okay. I'm right here."

"That's right!" FlaWizarmon said. "You were a brave boy, holdin' it together like that. An' everythin's okay now, 'cuz Lady Keiko took care of that nasty old Devimon."

Ken hiccuped again before he blurrily lowered his head to look at Keiko through his tears, looking quite a mess between them and his runny nose. As she continued to sing, the young boy slowly regained control of himself until his sobs turned to small sniffles.

"There we go~!" FlaWizarmon said as he leaned over to dry the boy's eyes - and nose - with a handkerchief. "You're okay now, Ken-chan~!"

"Don't worry about anything and just let it all out," Witchmon said as she ruffled Ken's hair. "Having a good cry is good for the soul now and again."

"I-I'm fine," Ken said, his soft voice contradicting his words. "I-I have to do my best… s-s-so we can go home…"

"It… it's okay, Ken," Ryo muttered as he rubbed Ken's back. "I'm sure we did whatever we had to do here. I mean Devimon's gone now, right?"

"For the moment," FlaWizarmon said as he tilted his head. "'Til he finds his way outta the Dark Worl-"

Witchmon's elbow cut FlaWizarmon off with a grunt when it impacted with his ribcage. She gave him a deadpan expression before she pointed at Ken behind the distraught child's back.

FlaWizarmon paused at that before he had the good graces to look sheepish. "Dontcha worry 'bout him none, alright, Ken-chan?"

Ken gave a shaky nod as he looked down at Leafmon. "O-okay…"

"I'll protect you next time, Ken-chan," Leafmon said, eyes sparkling with determination. "I promise!"

Ken paused at that before he grimaced, then wordlessly held Leafmon closer to his chest.

"I apologize," Leollmon said as he limped over to Ryo. "I was not prepared for such an enemy. I… I will have to train harder to do better."

Ryo shook his head. "No, no, don't be upset. Cassandramon said we had to come here without anyone else's help. We thought that meant we were ready for this ourselves, you know?"

FlaWizarmon immediately pricked up at that, eyes widening. "Who the _what_ now?"

" _Cassandramon_?" Witchmon repeated.

Bokomon shakily approached the others, dragging Neemon along behind him with noodly arms snagged around his leg like a weighted chain. It took too long to pry the yellow Digimon off of him enough that he could move even at a hobbling gait. "L-L-Lady Cassandramon told the young Chosen of Miracles and Kindness that in order to return to their world, they had to go to the tallest mountain to meet with the darkness - _without_ Sir Zennyu or Sir Higashi."

"W-w-w-we s-sure met the d-darkness alright!" Neemon stammered through chattering teeth, practically vibrating as he clung to Bokomon's leg tighter than a barnacle.

Keiko stopped singing. The softness she showed when comforting Ken evaporated as her face hardened to stone. The sweet, beautiful serenity of her voice was gone, replaced with a grating darkness that promised violence. "Cassandramon told you to do _what_?"

Nyamon stared at the two boys, incredulous. "Why would she say something so stupid?"

FlaWizarmon turned to eye Witchmon, who returned his gaze with one of her own. "Oh, she _did_ , did she? That's iiiinterestin'."

"Yes indeed~!" Witchmon said with a smile before she waved her hand at the two boys. "Could you excuse us a moment, dearies?"

FlaWizarmon and Witchmon turned to Keiko and ushered her and Nyamon away from Ken and Ryo, their jovial expressions immediately turning sour once their backs were to the boys.

"Typical," FlaWizarmon said, with a grunt. "Leave it to Cassandramon to pull crap like this."

"I thought the agreement was to _avoid_ traumatizing any of the children," Witchmon hissed between rows of razor sharp teeth.

"You heard what they said, right?" FlaWizarmon said, flicking his finger upwards. "To come to this mountain to _meet the darkness_."

"Yes," Nyamon said. "Which would mean Devimon."

FlaWizarmon pointed his finger down to Keiko. " _Or_."

"Us," Keiko said in a low, dangerous tone. "While we were hunting down the Digimon that was hunting _them_."

Nyamon's ears immediately canted back, her displeasure clear on her face.

"She knew _damn_ well what was gonna happen," FlaWizarmon said. "She knew Devimon would try to kill 'em, _and nearly succeed_ , an' that Lady Keiko'd rush in to stop 'im."

Witchmon let out a frustrated growl that was almost catlike as she yanked down the brim of her hat. "I can't stand her! How many times is she going to pull crap like this?"

Keiko covered a fist with her palm and slowly cracked her knuckles as her breath came sharp and fast through her nose. When she was done, she stepped away from her friends to the nearest tree and took a deep breath before bellowing. "Cassandramon! If this is your sadistic way of telling me I've got to protect these three, then you better give me a sign right now before I hunt _your_ ass down!"

The very air darkened around Keiko, the shadows crawling across her pale body until they overtook her fist as she pulled it back. When she punched the tree, pure Darkness fueled her attack and caused the tree to explode into a cloud of splinters and leaves.

A glowing golden ball hovered in the air where the tree once stood, marked by the crest of Miracles. Darkness cracked the surface of the sphere and spread until it too burst with far less fanfare, but far more brightly. Two necklaces dropped to the ground from their hiding place inside the sphere, but Nyamon snatched them before they touched the ground and held them up for her partner's inspection.

The Crest of Miracles, as golden and brilliant as the destroyed sphere, and the delicate pink rose of the Crest of Kindness rested neatly in their tags, awaiting their Chosen Children.

FlaWizarmon glanced over to Ryo and Ken, who were both gawking at Keiko in confusion after her outburst, then turned back to Keiko as he pulled the brim of his hat down. "Well, that answers that, don't it?"

Nyamon's expression deadpanned. "So she anticipated even this."

Witchmon sighed as she held her head, rubbing her temples to ward away a headache. "Of course she did."

"Yep~!" FlaWizarmon said with a humorless chuckle. "Gods, I hate that 'mon."

"I knew it," Keiko growled before she accepted the crests from Nyamon. She turned sharply on her heel and walked back to Ken and Ryo with grim determination.

"Much as I hate to do what she wants, I know what'll happen if we _don't_ ," FlaWizarmon growled. "She'll keep pulling this crap, throwin' them in harm's way until one of two things happen - Lady Keiko gives in or gives up."

"She can't ever just ask nicely, can she?" Witchmon hissed as she rubbed her forehead. "Always has to manipulate and play with emotions and lives to get what she wants."

"W-what's going on?" Ken asked, shakily. "W-was it Devimon!?"

"How… what just happened?" Ryo asked as he stared at Keiko; he wondered if he should be concerned about this girl.

Keiko held one crest in each hand as she held them out to their rightful owners. "Cassandramon sent me a message that I'm supposed to travel with you from now on. Take these. You'll need them."

Hesitantly, Ryo accepted the golden crest, marveling at its enigmatic design. "What is it?"

"The Crest of Miracles," Keiko said. "It's a physical manifestation of your power to help you control it. When you learn to control it, you'll be able to evolve your partner like I did with Nyamon earlier, and destroy things with your own hands like I did with that tree."

Ken accepted his own crest, staring down at it. "Oh… i-it's the same design as the one that was on the pillar that had Leafmon's egg..."

"You have the Crest of Kindness," Keiko said, her demeanor softening just a hair as she met Ken's worried gaze. "That's aligned with Light, which is stronger than Darkness. When you master it, Devimon and other Digimon aligned with Darkness like him, won't be able to touch you."

Ken blinked slowly. "Kindness…"

"Yep, seems a perfect fit," FlaWizarmon said as he approached, a big smile on his face. "Ken-chan definitely feels like a kind boy~!"

Witchmon hovered over to Ken and lightly pinched his cheek. "A sweet crest for a teeny sweetie!"

Ken paused at that before he blushed lightly and held the crest to his chest. "I… I'll do my best...!"

"Right~!" FlaWizarmon said, brightly, leaning forward as he placed his hands on his knees. "An' the first step to doin' yer best is gettin' proper trainin', so you know what the heck yer supposed to be doin'!"

"And we know _just_ the duo to do it!" Witchmon said, clapping her hands together.

Ken paused at that and looked up to stare at FlaWizarmon with large eyes. "W-wait, so it's not over? Even though Devimon's gone?"

FlaWizarmon's smile faltered, though he struggled to maintain it on his face. "'Fraid so, kiddo. Devimon wouldn't have the power to keep ya stuck in our world."

"Wait, are you serious!?" Ryo stared at the Digimon, then Keiko. "Even with as strong as he was!?"

"Devimon was powerful, but he was just one of many," Nyamon said as she glanced at Keiko. "Someone else must be involved."

Ken gave a small shiver as he wrapped his arms around Leafmon, all but crushing the tiny Digimon to his chest.

"Don't worry, Ken-chan!" Leafmon said as he looked up at his partner. "I'll train hard to protect you!"

"Will this training allow me to protect Lord Ryo?" Leollmon asked as he looked up at FlaWizarmon, then Witchmon.

"Yup!" FlaWizarmon said, with great cheer. "'Cuz Lord Ryo here'll be learnin' how to properly give ya some of his power, so you can evolve past yer limits~!"

"That's right," Witchmon agreed, with a nod. "Who knows what kind of _miracles_ you can achieve, with Lord Ryo's help~?"

Ryo faltered at the nickname, an embarrassed blush appearing there. "Uh, that's great… but you don't have to call me that. Just Ryo is fine."

Leollmon nodded. "As you wish."

"You got it, Lord Ryo~!" FlaWizarmon said, with a bright grin.

"What-ever you say, Lord Ryo~!" Witchmon agreed, giggling.

Leollmon face-faulted before he wordlessly glanced to Ryo.

Keiko gave Ryo a flat look, who stared in befuddlement at the witch and scarecrow Digimon. "You may as well get used to it. Once they get going, you can't stop them."

Nyamon gave a solemn nod in agreement, her arms crossed.

"Lady Keiko knows us so well, doesn't she?" FlaWizarmon asked, turning to flash his grin at his companion.

"She does, indeed~!" Witchmon replied, returning it with a fanged one of her own. "So very well~!"

Ryo scratched at his head, at a loss. "If you say so."


	12. Chapter 12

The empty marble temple was the only place that could contain Narakumon's anger, the pale-faced humanoid Digimon pacing the floor with heavy steps that cracked the marble only for it to restructure itself after he had passed. His ruby eyes glared downward rather than out to the restless Dark World, his long black hair swaying violently behind him before flipping about as he turned sharply to return where he had come. The massive Digimon wore a black breastplate overtop silver robes, with black gauntlets and knee-high boots to match. The most striking thing about his appearance, however, were the massive six wings sticking out of his back, the silver feathers bristling like a furious bird.

Narakumon grit his teeth before he whipped about, lashing out at a pillar and striking it neatly in half before he huffed - less with physical exertion and more with the outrage that consumed him so completely. He barely even glanced at the damaged pillar, as its data reformed without complaint just in time for him to place his hand against it as he supported his weight.

"Remind me _again_ why I haven't _killed_ that womon by now!?" Narakumon demanded. "All our work, all our efforts… she nearly destroyed everything, on a _whim_!"

"Because she's carries a piece of Huanglongmon inside of her; the last piece of him that still lives as he used to be."

Narakumon paused before his face fell, his anger immediately melting way to pain - and regret - before his expression shifted to more of a sulk. The large angel Digimon straightened up before he glanced over his shoulder. "She depends on that to save her scales far too often." he said, sullenly.

Light entered the darkened room, gently casting away the harsh shadows that clung to the God of Darkness. The source of that light was a heavenly woman with hair of spun gold that nearly touched the floor behind her layers of white robes accented in silver and gold thread and delicate pearls. Compared to Narakumon, the Goddess of Light seemed fragile, her body soft with curves and an aura of motherly warmth that sparkled from her sky blue eyes. The light surrounded her head like a halo, never blinding and always warm. The only thing Narakumon and Tenraimon had in common were their silver wings, which were absolutely identical in their intricate, otherworldly beauty and design.

"You also let her live because for all her harm, it leads to good in the end," she said, her voice as melodious as a symphony. The corner of her mouth quirked upward as Narakumon shot her a glare. "Although you really let her live just because Huanglongmon cared for her like a daughter."

Narakumon's cheek twitched before he snorted. "The two of them are so alike, they may _well_ have been! Infuriating, the both of them."

Though Tenraimon's pace was slow and steady, it didn't take her long to cross the length of the large chamber to reach Narakumon's side. The height difference between them was substantial and she had to reach above her head to stroke his cheek. "Perhaps you should take a break from spying on children for a while."

Narakumon jerked at both the words and the touch before pink appeared on his cheeks, faint and yet clear as day on his pale skin. "I-I wasn't spying! I was _supervising_ them! T-there's no way I _wouldn't_ watch a bunch of _humans_ wandering around my Digital World!"

Tenraimon drew lines along Narakumon's flushed cheeks, feeling the warmth radiating through her fingertips. "And your excuse for spying on them back in their world for the past several years?"

"I have to make sure they're not _indirectly_ causing our world trouble," Narakumon said, with a huff.

Tenraimon raised her eyebrows as her smile took on a more mischievous glint as she leaned in closer. "Oh really? It's _in_ directly now? I wonder when that happened."

Narakumon leaned away as he avoided looking at Tenraimon, a bead of sweat appearing on his brow. "R-regardless. I've been quite vigilant until now, and I have no intention of allowing said vigilance to lax just because two of them have found their way in our world." The angel's expression hardened. " _Especially_ now."

"You mean now that Keiko has been forced to stop avoiding them?" Tenraimon asked lightly. "As I recall, you were mysteriously quiet about the topic every time I tried to encourage her to make friends with them."

"N-no! No, no, _no_!" Narakumon sputtered, his blush deepening. "Not at all! I was talking about _them_ being the ones pulled in, out of _everyone_! Especially _him_!"

Tenraimon's laughter was like bells as she savored the warmth of Narakumon's cheeks. "You're so cute when you're jealous. Don't worry, Keiko still loves you."

Narakumon scowled, huffing again. The harshness of the expression was severely dulled by the deep blush that had taken residence on his face. "I'm being _serious_ , womon! Isn't it a bit _coincidental_ that _his_ egg was among those stolen, and now not only has time gone completely out of order but _he_ gets pulled in against his - and my - will?!"

Tenraimon's mirth faded only slightly. "No, I don't think it's coincidental, and neither do you. Nothing involving him has ever been coincidence."

Narakumon's brow furrowed as he looked down at the floor. "I had my suspicions when time became distorted, but the boy's appearance only confirms it. Cassandramon's interference is simply the final nail in the coffin. There is no other explanation."

Tenraimon closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against Narakumon's chin, though she needed to shift her weight to the tips of her toes in order to do so. "We knew that this was a possibility; he never was one to just let us guide his decisions in anything."

"He's always been an ass, and nothing will ever change that," Narakumon muttered. "That's truly the only thing you can put any faith in."

Tenraimon rocked back onto her heels, holding onto Narakumon's shoulders to support her weight as she tipped nearly off balance. "Even if he's being manipulated, he is going to make life hell for his abductors. He's the best there ever was at that."

"If we're fortunate, he's still in his egg and is being used as a conduit," Narakumon said, his expression darkening. "If not…"

Tenraimon sighed as her smile finally faded away. "We knew that was a possibility as well."

Narakumon let out a sigh of frustration. "I prefer the days when it was the _humans_ that I was worried about." He paused before he letting out an agitated grunt. "Though that didn't end fairly well, _either_."

Tenraimon made a show of cocking her eyebrow as she leaned in closer to Narakumon. "I do hope you mean the days _after_ we resolved our little _disagreement_ over the children."

Narakumon paused at that before he looked away. "I-I know, I know. I gave you my word, didn't I? I have _no_ intention of attempting to kill them again - here _or_ in the human world."

"Especially not after you adopted one of them," Tenraimon said. "I can't even imagine what it would do to Keiko if you ever had a change of heart."

Narakumon grimaced as he visualized Keiko's heartbreak himself, betrayal clear on her shocked face, before he let out a heavy grunt. "You don't have to imagine it, because it's not going to happen!"

"I'm not afraid of that any longer," Tenraimon said as she coiled a strand of Narakumon's long black hair around her finger. "Before Keiko came, I must admit I worried that you would break your promise to me one day. She's changed something in you, given you back something that _they_ destroyed."

Narakumon went silent for a moment as he stared at Tenraimon before he appeared thoughtful. "You know… if anything, I'd only really need to keep _Keiko_ alive, wouldn't I?" While his tone seemed to imply that he was truly considering it, he was having a hard time keeping the smile from appearing on his face. "I really have no reason to let the rest of them stay, especially that _Light_ girl. I can't even imagine how much of a pain in the ass _she'll_ grow up to be, given who _she's_ connected to. If her behavior against my servant was anything to go by..."

Tenraimon merely arched an eyebrow as she leaned in closer, the warmth of her breath caressing Narakumon's exposed neck. "Love, no safe word in either world would keep you safe from me if you harm a hair on that sweet girl's head, or any of the others."

Narakumon's blush returned in full force, spreading across his face and down his neck as his wings puffed up. "I-it was a joke! You know damn well it was a joke!"

Tenraimon hooked her fingers into the edge of Narakumon's breastplate and pulled him down so that they were at eye level, allowing him to see the curve of her lips and the way her eyes danced with an intense fire. "And I would hope you realized my reply was a joke. I would never promise to tie you down to the bed and do things to make you scream my name if you were serious. Or that I would ever forbid you to use a safe word if I overwhelmed you."

Narakumon faltered at that before his expression softened. "I know. But that doesn't make you any less annoying, womon." There was no anger or resentment in his tone, only a gentleness that belied them and his appearance.

Tenraimon's voice turned low, dripping with honey and unspoken promises as she moved in close enough so that there was little more than breath separating their lips. "There you go again using words improperly." She raked her teeth lightly along his lower lip, sucking gently for a moment before letting go to savor his startled reaction. "The word you were looking for is _arousing_."

Without waiting for a response, Tenraimon ran her lush rosy lips along the contours of Narakumon's chin, creating a blazing path along his skin to his ear. The way her breath tickled his skin made him shiver as she spoke. "The wait is making me restless too, so I think it's time to put that excess energy of yours to far better use. Don't you agree, Love?"

Narakumon's face continued to burn as he gawked wide-eyed at the other angel, his puffed wings fanning as he found himself unable to find the words to respond - in a denial or anything else.


	13. Chapter 13

Ken had never seen so much snow in his life. How the rocky mountain tops and grassy fields had turned to snow in an instant while he felt none of it, he had no idea. All he could do was stare and marvel downwards at the snow as it passed him by while he rode on Witchmon's broom, safely nestled between the witch's arms as she held both him and the broom with expert ease. All Ken had to do was focus on holding Leafmon with one hand, the other gripping the broom more out of instinct than need.

Ryo rode behind Witchmon, his arms wrapped around her waist as he stared downward at the passing landscape as well. "I've _never_ seen it this thick, not even in the dead of winter!"

"I-it must be due to the high altitudes!" Ken said. While he had never been to the mountains himself, he remembered it from school - that high mountain tops were often covered with snow. The fact that they were even higher up to the point that they could look _down_ on such softy heights was something he tried not to think about.

"We're nearly there," Primal Angewomon said as she flew alongside Witchmon, holding Keiko firmly in the nook of her right arm, with her left looped around the dangling Leollmon like a ragdoll.

"Who are we going to see?" Ken asked, glancing up at Witchmon. "Are… are they friendly?"

"Oh, yes, dearie~!" Witchmon said, cheerfully. "Very friendly, and quite silly too! I think you'll like them."

"Huh," Ryo said before he paused as a burst of fire on the ground caught his attention. He stared downward just in time to see a black fireball appear amid the snow, seconds before it gave way to reveal FlaWizarmon within it. As FlaWizarmon smiled up at them and waved his hands, it drew the boys attention to the massive structure behind him - a golden cathedral. "Wow."

" _That's_ the place!?" Ken asked, gasping. He then paused and furrowed his brow. "But why would someone silly be at a _church_?" From his own experiences, churches were always very solemn and serious - certainly never _silly_.

Witchmon let out a merry cackle. "Oh, those two are never ones for following human convention, Ken-chan."

As both Witchmon and Primal Angewomon landed beside the scarecrow, each unloaded their precious cargo onto the snow-covered path that seemed to lead right to the cathedral. It was only then that the cold struck with full force.

"B-b-brrrrrr!" Ken's teeth chattered as he held Leafmon protectively to his chest, hunching forward. "I-it's s-so cold!"

Leafmon snuggled up closer to Ken, quaking like a bowl of gelatin. "D-d-don't w-worry, K-Ken-chan! I'll k-keep you w-warm!"

Ryo shook, startled by the sudden onslaught of cold once his feet were on the ground. "W-why'd it get so c-cold all of a sudden?"

To the boys' surprise, Keiko showed no sign of being bothered by the temperature whatsoever, even though her delicate looking dress and leggings should have left her feeling colder than both of them. "It gets warm again inside. Hurry up and go in."

"Y-yes!" Ken agreed before he hurried up the steps as fast as he dared, huffing as his breath came out as a frozen fog. "L-let's go, Leafmon!"

"R-r-right!" Leafmon chirped, trying to sound brave in the face of the cold.

Ryo raced along the steps, but quickly found himself overtaking Ken, and slowed down to keep pace with the younger boy in spite of how the wind bit into him. "S-so many stairs, huh?"

Keiko looked between the boys and the number of steps left before letting out a sigh as she glanced sideways at FlaWizarmon. The sight of his infuriating smile made her cheek twitch. "You're waiting until I ask, aren't you?"

"But of course~!" FlaWizarmon said, cheerily. "I live to serve, after all~!"

Keiko let out a huff of air like a growl as she rolled her eyes. "Fine. FlaWizarmon, would you please keep _everyone_ from freezing?"

"Your wish is my command!" FlaWizarmon said with an extravagant flourish of his arm, bowing lowly. As Keiko continued to roll her eyes, the scarecrow then straightened up before extending his palms upward as two flaming orbs suddenly appeared. With a wink, he tossed the orbs towards Ryo and Ken. "Think fast~!"

Ken paused and glanced back just in time to see the two flaming orbs coming straight at them. He squeaked and ducked, though it proved to be a pointless effort as the orbs swerved, one around him and the other Ryo, rather than strike either of them and began to hover, orbiting their respective child like a miniature satellite.

The Chosen of Kindness tentatively glanced up before he stared at the orb, which gave off a pleasant warmth that chased away the lingering cold. "Oh! That's… warm!"

Ryo stared at the orb hovering around him for a moment before he tried to touch it, but the orb danced around his hand before continuing its orbit. "Whoa…"

"Problem solved~!" FlaWizarmon said, turning to flash Keiko a grin.

Keiko's only response was a deadpan expression.

Ken closed his eyes and leaned as close to the orb as it would allow, letting the heat touch his face. "It makes me think of a fireplace."

"This is great," Ryo said as he turned to FlaWizarmon. "Thanks!"

"Yer very welcome," FlaWizarmon said as he pulled the tip of his hat down.

Thanks to the orbs, the trip up to the cathedral went much faster - and much warmer. Eventually, the three humans and their Digimon entourage made it to the massive doors of the golden cathedral. As the two boys glanced at each other in hesitation, both FlaWizarmon and Witchmon approached the door, pushing them open without much fanfare.

"Yo, Jiji, Baba!" FlaWizarmon called out. "You got company!"

Ken and Ryo were immediately struck by the interior of the massive cathedral, the ceiling stretching high above them with colorful stained glass windows to the east, north, and west showing day, two planets, and night respectively. It was almost as impressive as the giant mural on the floor surrounding the three altars sitting before each mural, displaying the same symbols that had appeared on the pillars back at the Crystal Tower. Notably, Miracles was on the northern altar while Kindness was to the east by the daytime stained glass window.

"We ain't deaf or blind, y'know!" a gruff voice came from within the church, drawing the boy's attention to what appeared to be a barefoot little old man, with long gray hair and beard that completely obstructed his face. He wore a tattered brown robe about his body and carried a staff with a closed cat paw on the end, which he used to walk. The strange Digimon gave a sniff from his invisible nose. "Well, at least _I_ ain't. Can't say the same for the ol' biddy, though."

"Big words from an old fart like you!" a second humanoid Digimon said, as she followed after the first. She looked like a little grandma, her gray hair done up in a little bun with a golden pin through it and holding a large broom as a cane. She wore a green robe that covered most of her body, with red and white triangle trim along the sleeves and a purple and red patterned draping cloth down her front and back. A large pink beaded magatama necklace completed the outfit, bearing the symbol found on the east altar, though neither boy really knew its identity. While the first Digimon could pass completely for a human outside of his bizarre outfit, the newly arrived Digimon's mouth stitchings guaranteed at least a second look.

"Lord Ryo, Ken-chan? Meet Jijimon and Babamon," FlaWizarmon said with a lopsided grin as he gave a gesture with his hands. "Jiji, Baba? Lord Ryo and Ken-chan."

Both Jijimon and Babamon stared at the two human boys, though their eyes were impossible to see through their hair. After several moments of staring, enough to cause the two boys to begin to squirm, the elder male Digimon let out a snort.

"Too short." Jijimon said. "Ya didn't let 'im cook long enough."

Ken gaped at Jijimon in confusion, while Leafmon bristled in his partner's arms.

"Ken-chan's not _short_!" Leafmon protested. "He's as tall as _you_!"

"Which is why I can say with complete confidence that he needs at least a few more feet," Jijimon said with a sniff. "Come back when you're so tall you hit your head on the doorframe."

Ken jumped and turned to stare at the door frame, then at Jijimon. The very suggestion left him completely confused, as the image seemed not only ridiculous but impossible as well. "I-I… I'd _never_ be that tall!"

"Not with that attitude!" Jijimon said, shaking his cane at the bewildered boy.

Nyamon flicked her right ear as she glanced at Jijimon, then turned her attention to Babamon. "They're here for a crash course on using their crests to fight."

Ryo blinked at that and turned to stare at Nyamon. "Crash course?"

"We won't have the time for you to learn how to use your powers the way Keiko did," Nyamon said as she turned to Ryo. "We don't have that luxury."

"How did Keiko learn?" Ken asked, curiously.

" _Experience_ ," Keiko said, crossing her arms. " _Years_ of it."

"Y… _years_!?" Ryo repeated, outright gawking at the girl in front of him. "B-but you look the same age as _me_!"

FlaWizarmon quirked an eyebrow. "No one tell you about the time distortion, or somethin'?"

Ryo paused as he recalled Higashi's words. While it did answer his initial question, it brought so many _more_ questions along with it. "W-wait, so you're saying..."

Keiko let out a quiet, displeased grunt and glanced at Ken. "I've been in the Digital World for five years, even though barely a day has passed back on Earth."

"R-really!?" Ken gasped, staring at Keiko with wide eyes. "J-just one day!?"

Keiko nodded wordlessly.

"An' she don't look more than a day older than when she first arrived," FlaWizarmon said, cheerfully, before he winked at the children. "'Cuz only a day passed in your world, y'see."

"Is… is that how it works?" Ken asked, glancing between the Digimon.

"Yep, so don't go thinkin' you can get a shortcut to puberty by stayin' in the Digital World, then poppin' out in your world all full-grown!" Jijimon said, wiggling his finger at the Chosen of Kindness. "You won't be any older than you woulda been in your world!"

Ken furrowed his brow. "But it wouldn't be a shortcut, even if it _did_ work like that! I'd still be growing up, it'd just _seem_ like a sudden change to everyone else!"

"You got it! But if you tried it now, you'd experience those years but have jack crap to show for it!" Jijimon said as he poked Ken with his staff. "Mind of a teenage boy, body of a shrimp!"

Babamon let out a sigh as she bopped Jijimon over the head with her broom. "Hush, you."

"Ken-chan's not a shrimp!" Leafmon snapped from his position in Ken's arms, his leaf quivering with anger. "He's a Chosen Child!"

Ryo scratched his head. "Well, I guess that makes it easier to explain to your parents… but seriously? Five whole years?"

Keiko glanced over to Ryo, her eyes going as cold as the ice and snow outside the cathedral, before she looked away. "Anyway, you've got work to do."

"She's right," Babamon said as she grabbed Jijimon by the ear, tugging him away from Ken and over to Ryo and Leollmon. "We've got a lot to teach you two, but _especially_ you, Child of Miracles."

"Me?" Ryo repeated, with a blink.

"Ow! Quit it, quit it!" Jijimon whined as he hopped, then swatted away the other elder Digimon's hand once she released his ear. "That's right, youngin'! Ol' Kindness over there just needs to learn how to work with what he's got, which would've come naturally anyway." The elderly man Digimon then focused on Ryo. "But _you_ , you got all sorts of tricks that yer gonna hafta _learn_ if you wanna use the full potential of yer crest."

"Tricks? What sort of tricks?" Ryo asked, glancing at the two Digimon.

"Such as evolvin' other Digimon that ain't yer own," FlaWizarmon said as he crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. "Like Mister Kitty right there. _Only_ the Chosen of Miracles can get away with _that_ sorta shenanigans."

Leollmon lifted his head at that, glancing between the Digimon and the Chosen of Miracles. "I will assist Ryo in any way I can."

"You better, 'cuz it takes two to tango," Jijimon said. "Or one an' a half, if yer in to that sorta thing."

Babamon swiftly struck Jijimon in the face with her broom, with a resounding _smack_. "So let's start at the very beginning, shall we? What it means to be a Chosen Child, and your crests."

"Welcome to the crash course, kiddos!" FlaWizarmon said brightly. "Make sure you take note~!"

"Do your best, dearies~!" Witchmon said as she clapped her hands together. "We're rooting for you!"

Nyamon turned to face her partner, flicking her left ear towards the bewildered boys. "This is going to get interesting."

"Yes," Keiko said blandly, with her arms crossed. "Yes, it is."


	14. Chapter 14

Darkness, as far as the eye could see. The occasional bubble drifting in the ever-shifting current was the only sign that the endless black was in fact darkened water. Small, fragile spheres of gray drifted upwards, carrying tiny air pockets towards the surface. As they did, a glistening ephemeral image appeared on the delicate surface, as faint as the liquid-surface it rested across.

" _If you want training, you got it, pi!" a small, round Digimon with pink fuzz and a peach face said, beating his two feathered wings before twirling his spear to point at the gawking Ryo. "But don't think I'll go easy on you, pi!"_

" _R-right, of course," Ryo said, at a loss._

" _You better prepare yourself, pi!" the Digimon continued before he turned to point his spear at Ken. "It'll be a hellish crash course for the both of you, pi!"_

" _H-h… hellish?" Ken repeated as he held Leafmon tightly to his chest, his eyes going wide._

" _That's right-... pi?" the Digimon paused, his beady eyes drifting upwards to FlaWizarmon and Witchmon, who loomed to either side of Ken with a particularly hostile glint in their boring eyes. "Er, ah… w-well, not_ _ **too**_ _hellish, pi…"_

" _O-oh, good," Ken said with a sigh, sagging his shoulders. "Y-you had me worried…"_

" _Just an exaggeration, dearie," Witchmon said as she clapped her hands together. "Piccolomon won't be making you do anything you're not comfortable doing, isn't that_ _ **right**_ _?"_

" _P-pi…?" Piccolomon glanced between the two Digimon, his wings beating a bit more quickly than they had before._

" _Thank ya_ _ **kindly**_ _, Piccolomon," FlaWizarmon said, with a toothy grin. "We a_ _ **ppreciate**_ _yer cooperation."_

" _...Y-you got it, pi." Piccolomon said, a bead of sweat trailing from his brow to his cheek._

As the first bubble continued upwards, a second bubble made to follow, with its own reflection twinkling across the surface.

" _This is cleaning," Ryo said, on his hands and knees as he rubbed the large white cloth against the floor. "This isn't training. This is cleaning."_

" _Well, considering you don't have your partner, I can't put you through the full course, pi," Piccolomon said as he stood on the railing lining the floor, the group standing inside a monstrous multi-floored building reminiscent of a circular wooden building straight out of ancient Japan. "So this'll have to do, pi!"_

" _I-if you say so," Leollmon said, as he struggled to use his own cloth. It was fairly difficult, given the motions were a bit unnatural for a quadruped such as himself._

" _I don't get it," Ken said quietly as he rubbed at the floor with his own cloth. "What are we supposed to be learning from this?"_

" _I'll help you, Ken-chan!" Leafmon said as he hopped along beside his partner. "I'll grow hands and help!"_

" _Yoink!"_

 _The sound of FlaWizarmon's voice was all the warning Ken got before he was suddenly scooped up, princess style, in to the scarecrow's arms. FlaWizarmon grinned down at the small boy in his arms as he planted his foot on the rag, pushing with the other so that he suddenly went sliding across the floor._

" _Y-yeeek!?" Ken squeaked as he clung to the Digimon, eyes wide._

" _Sometimes, Ken-chan, it's all just a matter of perspective!" FlaWizarmon said, maintaining perfect balance as he went sliding with Ken in his arms._

" _Ken-chan, wait for me!" Leafmon called as he hopped after. He barely made it a meter before a pair of pale hands scooped him up._

 _Keiko grinned at Leafmon as she skated across the floor with two soapy sponges tied to her bare feet. "Need a lift?"_

 _Leafmon started before nodding vigorously. "Uh huh! Hurry, hurry or we'll lose them!"_

" _Not a chance!" Keiko laughed and shuffled her feet with greater swiftness, leaving a pair of bubbly wet trails behind that disappeared when Nyamon skated across them on rags._

 _Leollmon and Ryo both turned to watch as FlaWizarmon twirled in a pirouette on the floor, his foot still firmly planted on Ken's rag. The two turned to look at each other for a moment before they shared a grin._

 _The lion cub Digimon handed his rag over to Ryo, who placed one foot on it and his other foot on his own rag. Leollmon flicked his tail back, allowing Ryo to snag it, before he raced off after FlaWizarmon, effortlessly pulling Ryo as he went._

" _Woohoo!" Ryo called out, a big grin on his face as he held on tightly with both hands._

 _Piccolomon watched the exchange from the top of the massive stone statue of himself that the building mysteriously circled around, before he glanced over to Witchmon as the female Digimon hovered close. "You're not doing them any favors, coddling them like this, pi."_

" _Don't worry your head about it, dearie," Witchmon said, cheerfully. "You can't train the wind, you can only guide it. You know as well as I do that this is about cooperation and building bonds. So long as they accomplish both, then nothing else really matters, does it~?"_

" _They lack discipline and self-control," Piccolomon said, tapping the edge of his spear on his statue's brow._

" _They're not soldiers," Witchmon said, with an edge in her voice. "So don't treat them like it. They're_ _ **children**_ _."_

" _Children who are capable of incredible strength, more than we could ever achieve ourselves, pi," Piccolomon said. "You know as well as I do that our salvation may one day depend on them, pi."_

" _If our salvation depends on throwing innocent children into the fire," Witchmon said, with a bright grin. "Then maybe we don't_ _ **deserve**_ _to be saved."_

" _...True enough, pi," Piccolomon agreed._

The two bubbles nearly made it to the surface before a massive stream made of millions of bubbles rushed upwards, consuming both in its path before the congregation of tiny spheres continued together into oblivion.


	15. Chapter 15

Gentle puffs of smoke drifted upwards from the campfire, the flames crackling as they slowly devoured the wood that kept it going even in the dead of night. A large cooking pot dangled over the fire, attached to a makeshift spit that kept it suspended as the stew within it bubbled and boiled.

Ken stared down into the pot as he slowly stirred the stew, his expression melancholy despite the delicious smells that were rewarding him for his efforts.

"You've gotten rather good at cooking," Nyamon said, prompting Ken to look up in time to see both Keiko and her partner heading their way towards the younger boy. "It's hard to imagine that at the start of this whole adventure, you could do little more than boil water."

"Most children my age don't," Ken said as he watched the stew. "We're still relying on our mothers for our meals, and everything else." He let out a small chuckle as he shook his head. "We're definitely not rushing off to spend months in a different world, trying to save it."

"But even so, you learned how to do it really well!" Wormmon said. "You're the best cook out of everyone!"

"I can't leave _everything_ to Bokomon, can I?" Ken asked rhetorically as he gave the duo and his partner a weak smile before he returned his attention to the stew. "...It's not like I'm good for anything else."

Wormmon drooped, hanging his head. His big blue eyes filled with concern and sympathy for his troubled partner. "Ken-chan…"

Keiko pulled a handful of colorful flowers out of the ground at the edge of their camp. She then used the flowers as a harmless club to whap Ken over the head. "Wrong."

Ken jumped slightly at the sudden 'assault' as petals of all colors scattered across his hair, then turned to stare at Keiko in confusion. "Huh?"

Keiko pointed the flowers with now bent stems at Ken and wagged them in front of his face. "You're my friend. That makes you irreplaceable."

Ken stared at the bent stems, then at Keiko. After a moment, he looked away. "But… I can't do anything. I'm so far behind you, and even Ryo…" He looked down at the stew in front of him. "You and Ryo are already able to evolve to Complete, and Ryo is using Digimon that aren't even his partner. I was barely able to evolve Wormmon. If I can't even do that, what… what good am I?"

"Light has always had a hard time reaching higher evolutions," Nyamon said, crossing her arms. "But your potential is incredible."

"The only potential I have is to get in your way, or be a target," Ken said, sullenly. "Tomorrow, you, Ryo, and almost everyone else will be doing your best against Chimeramon and what remains of his army, and all I can do is try to stay out of the way. You're going to be risking your lives, and I'm just going to be hiding with Bokomon and Neemon."

Keiko twisted and knotted the flowers together in her lap as she made herself comfortable beside Ken. "Fighting isn't everything. It isn't even the most important thing. You're just fine the way you are."

Ken glanced over at Keiko, furrowing his brow. "But… I can't help anyone without fighting. I can't protect myself, let alone anyone else."

"You give me someone to protect," Keiko said, her eyes focused on the flowers. "You're someone I'll fight to come back to, someone I care about, someone who'll make me fight twice as hard. That's important."

Ken considered that before he looked down at the flowers in Keiko's hands. "But doesn't that make me a burden, for you and for Ryo? Won't you get tired of having to protect me, and having to fight extra hard because I can't?"

"No," Keiko said. "Never."

Ken blinked, both at Keiko's words and her lack of hesitation. "Why?"

Keiko finished the last knot on the flower crown and placed it atop Ken's head, smiling as her blazing red eyes met his confused blue. "Because you're Ken-chan."

Ken stared at Keiko, stunned silent. After several moments, his eyes began to water as his face twisted up with barely contained tears. "T-thank you…"

Keiko pulled Ken into a hug and held the young boy close as he cried.


	16. Chapter 16

The monstrous fortress looked just as impressive up front as it had from a distance. Even with the dawn sun high above them, the oppressiveness did not diminish in the slightest. Rather than chase away the shadows to expose something far less impressive, it instead confirmed that the Chosen Children's fears had been entirely justified.

They were in for the fight of their lives.

"How the hell did he accomplish so much, so quickly?" FlaWizarmon asked as he scratched the back of his head from under his hat. "I'm pretty damn sure this fortress wasn't here a couple weeks ago."

"It doesn't matter," Keiko said as she strode towards the front door, Nyamon following close behind. Her expression was hard as nails, mirrored on her partner's face. "It won't be here by evening, either."

FlaWizarmon blinked before he cracked a grin. "True 'nuff, Lady Keiko."

As the Chosen of Darkness came to a stop in front of the door, she drew her arm back, clenching her fist. Wisps of black flames appeared around her fist just in time for her to throw it forward, punching the door with all her might.

Contrary to expectations, all the bones in Keiko's hand did not crumble to powder. Instead, the door itself shattered like glass, splintering in all directions and giving way to the enormous and surprisingly regal looking entrance hall that greeted them.

Ken flinched at the show of violence before he glanced to Ryo. "I… I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"No kidding," Ryo muttered before he moved to follow after Keiko, which prompted the rest of the entourage to follow. Keiko and Nyamon lead the way, with Ryo and Leomon taking up the middle. At the back, FlaWizarmon and Witchmon lead Ken, Wormmon, Neemon, and Bokomon into the strange fortress.

FlaWizarmon came to a stop and glanced about the room, noting the rich finery around him, ranging from exquisite tapestries to finest gold and jewel decorations, before he let out a low whistle. "This guy's got rich tastes, don't he?"

"And quite a big head on his shoulders, if _this_ is how he decorates a _defensive fortress_ ," Witchmon agreed, pressing her fingertips together.

"Pretty, pretty~!" Neemon said as he spun about, trying to get a good look of the entire room but only managing to make himself dizzy. "Wheeee, it spins too~!"

Bokomon reached out to grab Neemon's ear, pulling it painfully and causing the noodly Digimon to yelp. "Don't touch _anything_! It could be _cursed_!"

"With bad taste, maybe," FlaWizarmon said with a crooked grin. "But I don't think-"

"Ora-ora-ora- _ora_! Don't you assholes know how to _knock_?"

Standing on top of the large, majestic stairway that connected the entrance hall to the second floor was a hulking green Digimon with a large fang-filled mouth and wild white hair nestled between his two long horns on his brow. He wore nothing save tattered black shirts and sported a red armband on his left arm and a black on his right, and leg bands with inverse colors around his calves. He twirled a massive spiked wood club in his large hands before slamming it down in front of him. "Looks like the great Ogremon gonna hafta _knock some manners_ into ya, cat!"

"You!?" Leomon burst out, thunderstruck. "What are _you_ doing here!?"

"You ain't the only one with friends in high places!" Ogremon said, with a sneer. "While you were busy babysittin' a bunch of humans, the great Ogremon's movin' up in the world! An' I even got a new form to show for it!"

"Um," Ken stared at Ogremon before he glanced at Ryo, furrowing his brow. "Who's… that?"

"No idea," Ryo said with a shrug.

"Do you recall that rather unremarkable and uncouth Goblimon we met quite some time ago, at Leomon's village?" Bokomon asked, keeping his voice low. "That would be him - his evolved form, at any rate."

Ken blinked slowly. "Oh."

Ryo rubbed the back of his head. "Talk about random encounters..."

Keiko let out a displeased huff of air. "Great. Another Digimon falling for the promise of quick and easy power."

"Happens a lot, don't it?" FlaWizarmon asked rhetorically, with a carefree grin.

"You've decided to work for Chimeramon?!" Leomon asked, his shock palpable, before it quickly turned to anger. "You're an even bigger fool than I thought!"

"Oi oi oi!" Ogremon twirled his club again before pointing it at Leomon. "The great Ogremon works for _no one_! I'm just lending a hand, that's all!"

"In other words, working," Keiko said, her voice deadpan.

"N-no!" Ogremon protested. "I just told you that! Ain't you listening!?"

" _Enough_ ," Leomon said as he clenched his fists. "We don't have time for your nonsense. Either leave peacefully or I will deal with you myself."

Ogremon paused at that before he puffed up his chest. "Hah, big words comin' from _you_ , cat! Just _try_ it!"

Leomon narrowed his eyes before he lowered his head. "Ryo. I know this is selfish of me, but…"

Ryo smiled up at the lion Digimon, then shook his head. "It's fine, don't even worry about it. What are friends for?" He then brought up his Digivice, holding it upwards. "Let's go!"

Leomon was engulfed by the light of evolution, as Ryo's light advanced him to the next level. His new form didn't look any different from his previous, save that his fur had turned as white as snow. However, appearances were quite deceiving, as he was bursting with far more power than he had in his Adult form. "Panjamon!"

"Eh-!?" Ogremon jerked back, his eyes widening. "Wait, what!?" When it dawned on him what had happened, the ogre bristled. "T-that's cheating! You cheating bastard! You can't fight me without relying on those brats!?"

"I'm not relying on them, they are relying on _me_ ," Panjamon said as he raised his clenched fist towards Ogremon. "And that's why I'll always be stronger than you."

Ogremon crouched as he pointed his club at Panjamon. "Don't give me that shit,you-"

"We don't have time for your nonsense!" Panjamon snarled as he pulled his arm back only to throw his fist forward. As he did so, a blue energy formation of a roaring lion head surged forward at Ogremon. "Ice Beast Fist!"

Ogremon yelped as he was hit by the blast, sent backwards through the wall. The wall itself caved beneath his body as he landed in a crumbled heap within the rubble.

Panjamon approached the downed Ogremon, his expression grim, before he turned to look at the others. "Let us go."

The others moved to join Panjamon, who de-evolved to Leomon before their eyes. As they moved past the crumpled heap of Ogremon, only Ken hesitated as he glanced down at the fallen Digimon.

Ryo noticed the Chosen of Kindness lingering behind and stopped, turning to look at him. "Ken?"

"Is… he going to be okay?" Ken asked, hesitantly. "Should we really leave him like this?"

"He will be fine," Leomon said with a snort. "And once he awakens, he'll run off with his tail between his legs. Do not concern yourself for his sake."

"Tail?" Neemon repeated as he tilted his head, then looked down at Ogremon. He blinked while managing somehow to not open his eyes, then lifted his head to Leomon. "But Leeeeomon! Ogremon doesn't have a tail! Is he going to use your tail instead?"

A beat later, Neemon opened his eyes as the children could practically see the lightbulb going off inside his head. " _Ohhh_! It's because he's a _boy_ , you mean his-"

Bokomon roughly snagged Neemon by the ear and began to pull him along, interrupting what the Digimon had been about to say. "That's enough out of _you!_ "

"Ow-ow-ow!" Neemon yelped as he hopped along on one foot. "Oooookay~!"

Ken watched Neemon and Bokomon as they went ahead, then turned to Ryo and Keiko as they watched him. He glanced down at the fallen Ogremon, then braced himself and hurried up to catch up with his friends as they descended deeper into the castle.


	17. Chapter 17

While the sight of such a large and majestic looking door signalling the end of their journey should have been a relief, it only served to make the Chosen Children and their Digimon entourage wary - wary of what trap, puzzle, or DigiGods knew what else awaited them. No one was willing to truly believe that their long, laborious, frustrating trip through the enemy's stronghold was finally over - if anything, the worst was yet to come.

After taking a long, lingering look at the door, Ryo and Keiko glanced at each other with a similar grimness tightening their faces. They nodded ever so slightly before Ryo turned back to the others. "Ken, you and Wormmon take Neemon and Bokomon further down the hall a bit while Leomon and Nyamon open the door. It's probably boobytrapped like the others."

"Right!" Ken said before he swiftly picked up his partner and backed away a considerable distance. "Come on, Neemon! Bokomon!"

"C-coming!" Bokomon said, the Kappa Digimon waddling after Ken as quickly as his legs could carry him. "Hurry up, Neemon! Get out of the way!"

"Get out of the way of what?" Neemon asked as he cocked his head to the side.

Bokomon let out a low grumble as he raced back to grab Neemon by the cheek and drag the yellow Digimon after him, Neemon squealing in pain and flailing the entire way.

FlaWizarmon watched after Neemon and Bokomon with a wry grin. "Never fails, eh?"

Witchmon let out a quiet cackle. "Neemon is so lucky to have a friend like Bokomon to look out for him."

Nyamon gave a sharp nod before she turned to look at Leomon, who stood beside her in front of the door. "Is everyone ready?"

Leomon nodded before he took a battle position, his fists raised. "Ready."

Ryo and Keiko went to opposite sides of the doorway where they could watch from relative safety.

"Do it!" Keiko shouted as she pumped her fist into the air.

Nyamon drew her fist back at the same time as Leomon and, together, the two beast Digimon punched the door with all their might. The door shattered like glass, bursting into data as it was completely destroyed, revealing the monstrous throne room that awaited them.

Keiko and Ryo both cautiously peered inside as all four Digimon waited for their next obstacle, not daring to enter the room just yet until they had caught sight of it.

"You took your dear sweet time getting here, didn't you? I was beginning to think you had _given up_ , retreating with your _tails_ between your _legs_."

A deep, distorted voice echoed through the room, though it seemed to be empty as far as the eye could see. However, the voice itself confirmed that this was not the case, even if they couldn't see the source itself just yet.

"Chimeramon," Ryo said, voice low.

"The one and only," the voice agreed, with a deep chuckle. "Though that's _Lord_ Chimeramon to _you_."

"Actually, we're just going to call you an idiot and kick your butt," Keiko said with a smirk as she folded her arms over her chest.

There was a pregnant pause before the voice returned. "And I will call you an insolent whelp and kill you where you stand."

"Not going to happen," Ryo said as he clenched a fist. "We're going to stop you right here and right now!"

"You're welcome to _try_!" the voice retorted, before a bright golden light appeared at the center of the room. Before their very eyes, data came together, taking form. The Digimon was nothing like they had ever seen, more like a mixture of multiple Digimon. It had the grey head of an insect, the white feet of a beast, the tan tail of a dinosaur, the orange chest of a different dinosaur, two white feathered wings with two red leathery wings beneath them, a right skeleton arm paired with a left red insect arm, and finally two black twisted arms that horrifying reminded Ryo of Devimon.

Overall, it was nothing less than pure chaos.

"Behold!" the Digimon said, triumphantly. "Lord Chimeramon!"

Nyamon was silent for several moments before her expression deadpanned. "The _hell_ is _that_ mess."

Ryo gawked at the abomination before them, eyes wide. "What in the world…?"

"That's… a chimera, alright," FlaWizarmon said as he scratched at his head with his left hand. "It suuuure is a chimera."

"Well, he's not wrong," Witchmon said thoughtfully as she tapped her chin. "A chimera is a combination of different creatures, after all. A lot of _familiar_ creatures in this case."

"You look like something a toddler drew," Keiko said, arms folded.

Chimeramon's cheek visibly twitched. "What was that."

A small smirk quirked at the corner of Keiko's mouth. "Then the toddler chewed up the drawing and threw it back up again."

Chimeramon's cheek twitched again, the twitching growing rapidly more violent. "How _dare_ you speak so insolently to me! You ugly little creature!"

Keiko pretended to yawn. "If you're done talking about yourself, can we get to the point?" She glanced at Nyamon as she pulled out her Digivice. "Time to kick butt."

"With pleasure!" Nyamon said as she crouched before the light of evolution overtook her, and she was soon replaced with that of Primal Angewomon.

"You got it, Lady Keiko!" FlaWizarmon said as he drew both of his matchsticks. "Yer in trouble now, buddy!"

Witchmon cackled as she brought the back of her hand to her lips. "You're going to pay for that little maze of yours."

"Ryo!" Leomon said, lifting his fist up. "I am ready as well!"

"Right!" Ryo shouted as he whipped out his Digivice, and soon Leomon was replaced with his evolution as well.

Chimeramon gave a sniff of his nostrils before he loomed forward, flashing the children a sneer. "Come, insects! Come and _die_ at the hands of your god!"

Primal Angewomon was the first to strike, lunging forward to slam her claws against Chimeramon's chin. Despite the considerable size difference, the blow was enough to snap the beast's head upwards.

Chimeramon retaliated in kind, swinging one of his devil arms about to strike Primal Angewomon down to the ground, sending her into a crash that splintered the stone that made up the floor.

Panjamon gave a roar as he came from the other side, sprinting up the wall to gain altitude before leaping across the room to kick the monstrous Digimon in the side of the head, causing Chimeramon to stumble to the side before righting himself and striking the beast Digimon with a feathered wing.

"Useless!" Chimeramon snapped. "Is that the best you can do!?"

"I reckon we can do a lot more than that!" FlaWizarmon said with a smirk before aiming both of his matchsticks at the huge Digimon, sending a burst of fire his way that singed the fur on his legs.

" _Heat Viper_!" Chimeramon somehow shouted, despite his mouth gaping open wide to shoot a red beam at FlaWizarmon. Even as the scarecrow leapt out of the way, the shockwave of the blast still caused the entire room to rumble, kicking loose bricks from the wall as well as toppling pillars that lined the room.

The shockwave even went so far that Ken and the two Digimon down the hallway were thrown about by it, with Ken falling to his knees with a cry as Bokomon and Neemon wobbled about.

"Ay-yai-yai…!" Bokomon stammered as he stumbled about. "Oh my, oh no!"

"Yaaaay~!" Neemon said, raising his arms over his head and wiggling them as he moved with the rumblings. "The hallway's _dancing_!"

Keiko and Ryo both braced themselves in the doorway, each holding onto a side as they waited out the shockwave. Their legs wobbled but thankfully the archway held, standing firm until the ground - and the room - finally stopped quaking.

"Are you alright, dearies?" Witchmon asked as she hovered on her broom over the two Chosen Children.

"Yes, by all means, _tremble_ with fear before me!" Chimeramon said, with a deep-throated laugh. "For all the good it will do you!"

Keiko laughed, low and mocking. "You call that scary? I've seen Digimon throw _tantrums_ more intimidating than that."

Chimeramon paused at that before he reared up. "What did you say!? Did you not see the way the very foundation beneath your feet _quaked_ , shaking the entire fortress at its very core?!"

"Narakumon does more damage just by stepping outside," Keiko said with a cheeky grin.

Chimeramon's nostrils flared as he glared down at the insolent girl. "Damage, is it? It's _damage_ you want?" The large Digimon fanned his wings, murderous rage clear in his eyes. "Then it is _damage_ you shall _have_!" He reared up before he shot another red beam - this time, directly at Keiko.

Primal Angewomon dove into the way, bringing her arms up to shield herself as she had no choice but to take the full brunt of the attack. As the blast hit her, it sent another shockwave through the air, sending both Ryo and Keiko to the ground and Primal Angewomon herself backwards and _through_ the wall behind them.

Keiko cried out her partner's name out of instinct as she watched Primal Angewomon's body slam through one wall to the next. Her throat constricted with the quickening of her pulse, but fear swiftly melted to anger that darkened the very air around her as she turned her blood red gaze back to Chimeramon. "Bastard."

Chimeramon smirked down at Keiko before he opened his mouth again. " _Heat_ -"

FlaWizarmon dove forward, swinging both his matchsticks forward to shoot a blast of flame directly into the beast's mouth. Chimeramon let out a strangled cry as he jerked backwards, the flame launching deep into the back of his throat and singing flesh as it went.

Panjamon took the opportunity to attack, leaping through the air to slam his fist into the side of Chimeramon's head. And while it jerked the massive beast's head to the side, the abomination quickly recovered and whipped his head about to return the favor, striking the lion Digimon with the same force as a fist.

Witchmon swooped by Panjamon and enveloped him in her cape as he passed by. In an instant, it was as though his momentum was seamlessly altered from downward to upward, allowing him time to recover enough to catch himself by the time he fell back towards the ground at a relatively slower pace. She didn't stop to take in her work or his landing on his feet that broke tile and scarred them with his claws, flying straight at Chimeramon with a spell circle forming in her hand. "Poison Storm!"

Chimeramon was too busy lunging at FlaWizarmon to notice the attack. It wasn't until Witchmon's voice rang out that he finally looked up just in time to see the spell circle go off, blasting him head on. The enormous beast grunted as he bore the brunt of the attack before he swatted at Witchmon with all four of his limbs, attempting to strike her down.

Witchmon barely managed to dodge the first attack with only a graze of his claw along her arm while the second knocked off her hat and ghost cat, the latter howling. The third and fourth hit only air as she teleported back to the others. " _Man_ , he's fast," she panted once safely out of his reach.

"Somethin' that big ain't got no business being that fast," FlaWizarmon muttered as he held his matchsticks at the ready.

"It doesn't matter," Keiko said, her expression grim. "It's only a matter of time now."

"I agree," Chimeramon said as he straightened up. "It's only a matter of time before I _crush you_!" With a snarl, he lunged forward, kicking his foot out in an attempt to crush Keiko between his toes.

Primal Angewomon rejoined the fight in an instant, surging forward to snag the foot before it could even get close to her partner. She held the foot firmly, even as Chimeramon pushed down hard upon her. "Threats like that lose their impact the more you spout them."

"Especially when ya ain't able to make good on 'em!" FlaWizarmon agreed as he brought his matchsticks up to blast Chimeramon with his fire while the behemoth was distracted.

Chimeramon stumbled back, yanking his foot away, before he whipped about to strike the fire with his tail, dissipating it with a burst of sparks. He continued with his spin, bringing his tail about to strike at Panjamon as the lion Digimon got close again.

Panjamon narrowly avoided the tail, leaping over it just before it slammed into the wall, shattering the bricks and caving said wall in like a house of cards.

"He's pretty tough," Ryo muttered, gripping his hands tightly. "He's taking on all four of them at once, and doesn't seem to be tiring at all."

Keiko gave a small nod, her expression grim as she kept her eyes on Chimeramon. "But he _also_ hasn't been able to 'destroy' us as easily as he keeps claiming he will, so he's not _nearly_ as powerful as he thinks he is."

"You underestimate me, which shall lead to your downfall!" Chimeramon scoffed, startling the two Chosen Children as they jerked to stare up at him. "You are but _flies_ compared to my majesty! Your precious 'attacks' are little more than a _mosquito bite_!"

Ryo blinked before he quirked an eyebrow. "So which is it, are we _flies_ or _mosquitos_?"

Chimeramon paused at that, then bristled. "You are _insects_ , _begging_ to be squashed!" He then lunged forward, reaching his four hands downward in a strike at the human children. "And squash you, I _shall_!"

Primal Angewomon intercepted Chimeramon yet again, lunging at his face with a mighty swipe of her claws. As blood and data burst from her strike, it didn't seem to phase Chimeramon as he snapped his head and opened his mouth wide.

The light of Chimeramon's attack didn't get an opportunity to glow as Panjamon lunged forward, slamming his feet into the abomination's snout and forcing his mouth closed with an audible 'snap'.

Chimeramon jerked forward from the force of the blow, then whipped his head about, striking both Panjamon and Primal Angewomon with either side of his snout, sending the two in opposite directions into the walls.

Chimeramon straightened up as he gave a snort, flexing the muscles on his multiple arms. "You _fools_ are wasting your time! Even with an army, you would never be able to defeat me!"

"We're not wastin' _our_ time," FlaWizarmon said, with a cheeky grin. "We're wastin' _yours_."

"And you're quickly running out~!" Witchmon agreed, steepling her fingertips together as she giggled.

Chimeramon paused at that. "What?"

"Are you really that oblivious?" Keiko asked, with a smirk. "You'd have to be pretty dense not to _feel_ what's happening."

Chimeramon paused at that before he glanced down, just enough to see the purple splotches appearing on his skin. Bits of data drifted upwards as the poison ate away at his flesh, slowly but steadily.

"The poison's spreading rapidly through your body," Primal Angewomon said as she hovered in front of the Chosen Children, acting as a barrier between them and their opponent. "As it devours your body, it will weaken you until it gives us the opportunity we need to finish you once and for all."

"This ends now, Chimeramon," Ryo said as he pointed at the mighty beast. "You'll never be able to hurt anyone ever again!"

Chimeramon narrowed his eyes as he focused his attention on the humans, in particular the smug expression on Keiko's face and that of her entourage. He flared his nose before he hunched forward, clenching his twisted claws as if he were strangling each of them. "Let us see about _that_ , shall we?"

With that, a strange golden glow engulfed the mighty Digimon. While faint at first, it quickly grew in intensity, with a slow flashing that began to increase its tempo with every passing second. Chimeramon let out a bestial roar as the pulsating glow grew increasingly violent.

FlaWizarmon gripped his matchsticks as he crouched, watching the sight with no small amount of consternation. "Somethin's happenin'."

"Get ready," Witchmon said warily as she crossed her arms before her.

Ryo frowned as the strange light show reminded him of something. When a thought of certain video game mechanics struck him, panic jolted through him. "Get back! He's making an explosion!"

Keiko whipped her head towards Ryo, incredulous. "What? How can you-"

"Just trust me and _run!_ " Ryo shouted as he seized Keiko by the arm and bolted towards the door.

FlaWizarmon stared after the humans, then at Chimeramon. The smug expression on the flashing Digimon's face answered the scarecrow's question, leaving him both shocked and horrified. "The hell you doin', you idiot!?"

"Death is but a passing inconvenience to a _god_ ," Chimeramon replied, with a toothy steer. "If it means taking you with me, I will gladly walk the path of destruction!"

"Y-you're insane!" Panjamon gasped out.

Primal Angewomon grimaced before she whirled, moving quickly to snatch Keiko under one arm and Ryo with the other. " _Move it_!"

"Yes, run! _Flee_ for your lives! See what good your efforts do you!" Chimeramon roared out. "Even _darkness_ can't flee from _death_!"

FlaWizarmon grimaced. If the beast's words were anything to go by, then the explosion would be big - far too large to escape, especially when hindered by the maze-like structure. Their only option was to neutralize the threat of the explosion itself. And given how long the fight had dragged on, there was no way they'd be able to kill Chimeramon before he detonated. Even worse, their attacks ran the risk of setting him off.

If they couldn't get away and they couldn't stop him, what was left? What options did they have?

FlaWizarmon's eyebrows shot up before he whirled to his companion. "Witchmon!"

Witchmon's cape expanded as she neared her friends when she heard FlaWizarmon's call. Their eyes met before he directed his gaze to Chimeramon. In that moment, she understood what he had in mind and rounded on her broom to charge straight at the cackling monster.

"By all means, struggle! Scream! _Beg_!" Chimeramon crowed as the flashing intensified until it became nearly a singular light. "For all the good-"

Chimeramon was immediately cut off as Witchmon's cape suddenly engulfed him like a black tidalwave. The behemoth's expression went completely blank, the words dying on hips lips as the cape gave way to open sky. Far above lush forests, with the fortress far in the distance, both Chimeramon and Witchmon appeared with a flutter of her cape.

Witchmon flashed Chimeramon a smirk, one final parting shot before she quickly wrapped her cape around her. She disappeared once more, leaving the behemoth to his fate. Chimeramon's expression remained blank as he began to plummet to the ground like a stone, seconds before he detonated. The surge of energy vaporized the trees around him, and even the ground as he descended towards it.

With a deafening crack, trees and earth turned to ash - as did Chimeramon himself.


	18. Chapter 18

There was something surreal about returning home after a months-long journey, only for a couple hours to have passed in the real world. However, the disconnect did little to dampen Ken's enthusiasm at finally being able to return home. Once he and Ryo had confirmed that neither would be called back by the strange golden light, the Chosen of Kindness ran the whole way home from Ryo's house, holding Wormmon in his arms.

Bounding to the front door with a spring in his step, Ken flung the door wide open. "I'm home!"

Silence answered him and no one else.

The emptiness of the apartment struck Ken like a physical force. After months of being a hero in a magical land surrounded by friends who cared about him, he had forgotten what home was like much of the time.

"Mom must be out," Ken muttered, half to Wormmon and half to remind himself that it was time to get used to reality again. His mother was no doubt out shopping for food, or talking with the neighbors, just something to get herself out of the tedium of being a full time housewife whose only means of engagement were cleaning, cooking, and childrearing.

Or at least, that's what his mother often complained when she forgot Ken was in earshot.

"Dad's at work, but he wouldn't really care either," Ken muttered. "That leaves…"

The Chosen of Kindness quickly hurried to Osamu's bedroom. While he shared with his brother, Ken knew that it was officially Osamu's.

Everything was officially Osamu's.

"Osamu!" Ken said as he opened the door. "I'm back!"

"Welcome back," Osamu said reflexively, keeping his eyes on the computer screen as his fingers typed furiously at the keys. It was a moment later before he actually registered the fact that Ken was home and glanced at the computer's internal clock. "You're back early. Did you finally get bored of Akiyama?"

"Ah, oh, no. I… lost track of time," Ken said. It was the truth - months had passed for him, so the fact that he hadn't stayed until dusk was a minor thought that completely slipped his mind. He paused and glanced down at Wormmon in his arms. "I want you to meet someone!"

Breath escaped Osamu in a mixture of a moan and a growl before he saved his work and leaned back in his seat. "Ken, I told you, Mom won't let you bring home a puppy, cat, bunny, or any other kind of pet no matter how many times you promise you'll take care of it. She won't ever think you're responsible enough."

Ken paused at that. He was taken aback by Osamu's words, but more specifically the feeling of irritation he felt at the sentiment - especially since they both knew full well that the reasons his parents gave had nothing to do with him and more to do with the pet 'distracting' Osamu. "...Wormmon isn't a pet, he's my _partner_. He won't affect you or _your studies_ at all."

Osamu slapped his hands down onto the armrests of his chair and spun around to face his little brother, mouth open with a scathing retort hovering on his tongue, only for the first word to turn into a confused grunt as he saw what Ken carried. "Oh." He frowned, surprise reforming back into irritation. "Akiyama got you yet another doll from the UFO catcher didn't he."

Ken felt a wave of anger, and it showed on his face. "No. He didn't."

Osamu cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, so you won it? Congratulations." He spun the chair back around to his computer. "Don't get me worked up like that over nothing, Ken. I've got a big test tomorrow."

Ken stared hard at his brother. Part of him told him to just give up, and drop the subject. But then his anger prodded at him, particularly at the idea that Wormmon wasn't worth 'bothering' Osamu over. After everything they'd been through, the danger he had faced, his brother's anger surprisingly didn't bother him as it used to. "Wormmon, this is my brother, Osamu."

Wormmon glanced at Ken before looking back at Osamu, giving the other boy a timid wave. "H-hello, Mister Osamu. It's nice to meet you."

Osamu paused, his fingers hovering just centimeters above the keyboard, and turned back to face Ken, his piercing gaze freezing Wormmon in place. While he could have dismissed the voice as his brother doing an imitation, it sounded far too dissimilar to have come from Ken. "What was that?"

"He said it was nice to meet you," Ken said, his tone sharp, before he looked down at the Digimon in his arms. "It's okay, Wormmon."

Wormmon fidgeted a bit, his blue eyes once more looking to Ken for guidance before he tentatively waved at Osamu again, this time with far more nervousness. "I hope you don't mind me staying here with Ken-chan, Mister Osamu, sir. I promise I won't get in the way-"

A crash and clatter of Osamu jerking backwards cut Wormmon off, as the realization that the creature in Ken's arms was not a puppet but something actually blinking, breathing, moving, and _talking_ on its own slammed into him all at once. What he knew of the natural world and what he was experiencing collided hard and left him crashing to the floor and his chair across the room.

Ken stared down at Osamu as his brother sat sprawled across the floor, his shock and confusion replacing his anger. "Osamu?"

"Wh… what the hell is that!?" Osamu sputtered as he pointed at Wormmon, his glasses precariously dangling off one ear.

"He's… Wormmon," Ken said, hesitantly. "I told you."

Osamu scrambled to get his glasses on so that he could see the creature more clearly, his wide eyes never leaving Wormmon. "No, _what_ is that! No animal can talk, and there is no damn way that's a puppet!"

"He's a Digimon," Ken said, furrowing his brow. "And he's my partner."

"Put it down right now, Ken," Osamu said as he braced himself against the desk and climbed to his feet. "Put it down and back away slowly. We don't know if it's dangerous."

"What?" Ken gaped at his brother before he tightened his grip on his partner. "No! Wormmon is my friend! Why are you acting like this?"

"This isn't time to fool around, Ken!" Osamu snapped, his eyes fixed on Wormmon, scarcely daring to blink. "You're carrying a giant talking bug like it's nothing! For all we know, it's venomous and its mandibles could tear your hand off!"

"I'm not fooling around!" Ken said, his irritation returning with full force. "Digimon can look like anything, even poop with eyes or talking plush dolls! Wormmon is actually very normal compared to what a Digimon can look like!"

"P-please calm down, Mister Osamu, sir!" Wormmon yelped as he waved his digits as though to ward off Osamu's anger, perspiring heavily. "I promise, I would never, ever, _ever_ hurt Ken-chan, and I don't have any venom at all!"

"Poop with eyes…" Osamu's mouth contorted sourly. "Ken, you're not making any sense! What the hell is a Digimon and where did you get this giant talking bug and don't you know better than to just go around grabbing strange animals or talk to strangers!?"

"He was given to me when I was taken to the Digital World, where the Digimon live," Ken said as he looked down at Wormmon. "He's my partner, and protects me."

"Digital… World?" Osamu repeated slowly.

Ken nodded. "There's a whole world alongside ours, where these Digimon are born from our computer data! And that's why they can take all sorts of forms! If anything, we're at fault for anything really weird that shows up!"

"That's impossible," Osamu responded reflectively. "Data is just zeros and ones! It can't just come to life on its own!"

Ken lifted up his partner. "Wormmon's made of data."

"Or this _thing_ is lying to you," Osamu snapped. "You don't know anything about it! Where the hell did you get it? Where did it take you? Who else was there? Did they do anything to you!? Where was Akiyama when all this was happening!?"

Ken stared at Osamu in silence for several moments, then looked down at Wormmon. After a moment, he returned his attention back to his brother. "Ryo was with me the whole time, and he made sure I was safe. It's fine, so don't worry. The only reason we're even back now is because of our friends - including Wormmon. Otherwise, I'd still be trapped there."

"Trapped!?" Osamu practically shrieked. "You were kidnapped!?"

Ken faltered, his eyes going wide. "Um, well…"

"Oh my God, Ken," Osamu said. "We've got to call the police. Those people could still be after you and have more of these creatures!"

"The police can't arrest a Digimon, Osamu!" Ken protested. "Besides, Ryo and Keiko already beat up the bad Digimon. That's why I'm home!"

"Keiko?" Osamu repeated as he racked his brain to recall if he ever heard that name before.

"She's another human that we met in the Digital World," Ken said. "She helped protect me, too! She made sure that no one'd hurt me!"

"So was she one of the kidnappers,?" Osamu asked, brow furrowing in suspicion.

"No, of course not!" Ken protested, growing exasperated. "She helped me and Ryo, with her partner! She was a huge help, too! Nyamon is an extremely powerful Digimon!"

The pieces were slowly coming together in Osamu's head. "So you, Akiyama, and some other kids were kidnapped, given dangerous creatures that could talk, and you had to fight for your lives and escape?"

"Um, well, the people who gave us our partners weren't the ones that ki-that took us to that world," Ken said, slowly. "They helped us get back, too."

Osamu narrowed his eyes. "How do you _know_ they weren't the ones who kidnapped you? Did they give you any proof? How _were_ you kidnapped? I want every detail of what happened about this 'Digital World' place and how you got there."

"Well, they didn't really want us there in the first place, so-" Ken began then shook his head. The conversation was quickly spiraling out of control. "I-it doesn't matter! I'm back, so there's no problem anymore!"

"Not a prob… _of course it's a problem_!" Osamu shouted as he threw his arms out to his sides. "Ken, you were _kidnapped_ and _put in danger_ of being attacked by talking monsters that look like giant bugs and poop! You're just waltzing in here like it's no big deal, even taking one of these creatures home with you! What the hell makes you think any of that isn't a problem!?"

"Because we already took care of the bad guys!" Ken said, growing increasingly flustered. "That's why I'm even here in the first place!"

Osamu bit back his next outburst so that only a mangled clump of mashed syllables and frustration escaped as he grasped at the air, his fingers seeking something to strangle. He forced himself to breathe, to stop running off pure adrenaline and properly use his genius intellect to its fullest extent.

"Okay," Osamu said after a deep exhale, his breathing still not quite back to normal yet. "Okay… Start over. I want to hear _everything_ that happened from the beginning. Don't leave out a _single_ detail, Ken. Understand?"

Ken opened his mouth, his first instinct to refuse. It was clear that he wasn't explaining things properly, as he was only spinning Osamu up further. However, his genius brother's expression bore no argument, causing the younger Ichijouji to lose his words of refusal on his lips. Ken paused before he gave a meek nod. "A-alright, Osamu…"


	19. Chapter 19

Osamu didn't take Ken's story well.

For the majority of Osamu's life, the world was a known quantity of facts and numbers that, when researched and understood, made everything consistent and quantifiable. There were no gods or spirits, just an unusual event made up of a series of factors from varying sources colliding together where the lowest probability occurrence resulted. All one had to do was learn enough to influence varying factors to increase one's chances of the favored result, such as studying for a test, saying the right thing to the right people to curry favor, and going to the right schools to get the right jobs that yielded the most optimum life available on this miserable hunk of rock full of irrational, shrieking hairless apes.

Then Ken came home with an alien from another world; a _monster_ made out of computer data; a living, breathing, eating, defecating, reproducing life form composed of _zeros and ones_ instead ofDNA.

It only got more unbelievable from there as Osamu learned of _months_ of Ken's life that he was absent from that were full of fantastic creatures, magical powers, and a reality where the impossible was normality.

Osamu did not take it well - not the fact that Ken was constantly put in danger on the whims of ones who called themselves gods, or that many of the laws of nature, science, biology, and so many more that he spent the majority of his waking hours beating into his skull to understand this stupid and messy world to be wrong.

Osamu _hated_ being wrong.

By the time Ken had finished his story and Osamu had exhausted every question he could answer, the older Ichijouji brother excused himself to the kitchen. Acid churned in Osamu's belly and made him want to throw up, but he was no stranger to stress-induced abdominal distress, not with how many exams he took and the pressures he was under every single day as his parents, teachers, and anyone else with authority over him commanded his best performance like lion tamers with whips and flaming hoops.

Osamu could deal with this situation with his little brother like he did everything else that threatened to give him ulcers and sent his blood pressure skyrocketing to a level that was unhealthy for even a person three times his age. There was no option of doing otherwise.

After choking back chalky pills that tasted of rancid berries soaked in the dregs of some lab experiment, Osamu got himself a bowl of cereal. Upon noticing the time, he fetched one for Ken as well, suspecting their mother was going to be late for dinner again. That was fine, of course, since he was responsible enough to make sure he and Ken ate in her absence, but at that moment Osamu was in no mood to bother with heating up leftovers.

With two bowls of cereal and two glasses of milk in front of him, Osamu paused before getting a serving tray as he realized he would need another serving for Wormmon. Such a wretched yet adorably endearing creature had spent the entire time Ken told the story adding helpful details and being endlessly doting and kind to Ken while showing Osamu nothing but politeness.

It was no wonder Ken had fallen for the charms of an alien monster.

Osamu took a swig of his milk before leaning against the counter and burying his face in his hand. He had to deal with this somehow. His first instinct was to throw Wormmon out a window, but Ken would never forgive him for that anymore than he would if he tried the same thing to Ryo. The fact that Akiyama and the creature, plus some other monsters and a strange girl kept Ken safe from death repeatedly made Osamu feel indebted to them as much as he drove himself crazy wondering what it was they wanted from Ken and why they would dare put his irreplaceable, endlessly kind baby brother through such hell.

Osamu hated them all.

Soon Osamu's glass was empty, but his stomach was still churning up an acidic tinge at the back of his throat. A refill of milk gave him an excuse to delay dealing with Ken and the Digital _Monster_ in the other room.

After another swig of milk, Osamu took a deep breath and forced it out slowly before he added a third bowl and glass to the tray. A dark part of him wanted to put borax into the insect's drink, but he stomped that thought out of existence without mercy. As frustrated as he was, he wasn't about to resort to murder, not unless he had unquestionable proof that Wormmon was a deadly threat to him and Ken.

For all the acid and hate overflowing in his belly, Osamu knew that he was the only one with the problem here.

Carefully carrying the tray back to their bedroom, the elder Ichijouji child reached for the doorknob when the sound of talking caught his attention..

"-have you asked Ryo too?" Ken's reluctant voice caused Osamu to hesitate, his hand hovering over the doorknob.

"Yes, we've spoken to the Chosen of Miracles as well," said an elderly sounding voice that Osamu didn't recognize. "He's already gated back in to the Digital World and will meet you there, should you decide to join him."

There was hesitation, but it lasted only a moment before Ken's voice came back, with renewed strength. "Okay! I'll… I'll do it! I'll help Ryo and Keiko! What do I need to do?"

"Just say 'Digital Gate Open' and your Digivice will take care of the rest."

Osamu paused before his eyes widened, shock and horror filtering in. He quickly threw the door open, the tray of food and drink clattering and shattering on the floor, as he bolted towards his brother. "Ken! Wait-"

"Digital Gate open!"

Just as Osamu opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of Ken being consumed by a brilliant light coming from his computer monitor. While he saw the bizarre image of an old, wrinkled man with a white ponytail on his screen, he was far more concerned about what was happening to his brother. Unfortunately, the light completely obscured the youngest Ichijouji, making it impossible to see him. The assault on Osamu's eyes caused him to scream and take an involuntary step back as he shielded his face with his arms.

As quickly as the light had appeared, it disappeared. Once gone, it allowed Osamu to blurrily blink his eyes and look about the room, to discover it completely empty.

Both Ken and Wormmon were gone.


	20. Chapter 20

"It's been quite some time since we've had a gathering of this magnitude."

The elderly-sounding voice echoed through the massive stairwell, with its golden staircase spiraling downwards deep underground. Leading the way was an equally elderly looking man, the same man that had appeared on the computer screen before Ken and Wormmon. He bore a fuzzy gray mustache and matching top-knot ponytail, otherwise completely bald, and wore a thick dark purple coat with red trim and shoulder pads complete with matching gloves and boots.

The human-looking Digimon led the way down the stairwell, with Jijimon and Babamon following after him. After them came the three human children - Keiko, Ryo, and Ken - and their Digimon entourage of Wormmon, Nyamon, and Leomon. Bringing up the back, showing decidedly less wonder and awe than the children and partners, were FlaWizarmon and Witchmon.

"You got that right," Jijimon said with a sniff. "Those stuffed shirts don't usually drop by the Temple of Miracles, unless they gotta vote on somethin'."

"Stuffed shirts?" Ryo repeated, perplexed. "But aren't Narakumon and Tenraimon in charge? Why is there a vote for anything?"

Babamon lightly rapped her broom on the floor. "The gods have enough to keep them busy supporting all of existence without having to micromanage every last detail about our world and yours. That's why they have subordinates and a hierarchy of important Digimon to handle specific aspects."

"I reckon you could say they're the bureaucrat to your emperor or president or king, or however that works in yer world," FlaWizarmon said as he laced his fingers behind his head.

Ryo blinked slowly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess that's true."

"An' like true bureaucrats, they can't even agree on how to wipe their own asses, let alone how to take care of the Digital World," Jijimon said. "So if there's somethin' that affects more than just their appointed area, the Holy Beasts hold a vote - majority rules."

"Keeps it nice and fair, y'see," FlaWizarmon said, with a wink.

"But what are they voting on?" Ken asked as he turned to look at FlaWizarmon.

"What else?" FlaWizarmon said with an easygoing smile and a shrug. "What to do about Chimeramon."

"As I explained before," Gennai said, with a shake of his head. "Chimeramon has returned in full force, going far beyond just a petty small-time thug in his single fortress with a few scattered minions. His might now threatens the entire Digital World."

"But… how did it happen so fast?" Ken asked, somewhat mystified. "We _just_ defeated him several hours ago!"

"It may have seemed like several hours to you, but _months_ have passed in the Digital World," Keiko said, her expression grim. "More than enough time for him to rebuild his forces."

Ryo grimaced. "Oh, that's right. The time difference. One minute in our world is one day here. We were gone, what, about five hours? So that means at least 300 days… or close to a year."

"He is a very determined foe, I will give him that," Leomon said, with a grunt. "To recover so quickly and rebuild his army after detonating himself…"

"That wasn't really him," Nyamon said, her ears canted back. "It was a decoy. He never went to the Dark World."

Leomon jerked and turned to stare at the smaller feline Digimon. "What?"

"Narakumon had been specifically waiting for him in the Dark World," Nyamon said. "He never arrived."

"He musta been usin' somethin' or _someone_ like a puppet," FlaWizarmon said, with a grunt. "So of _course_ he didn't care about blowin' it up."

Leomon stared at Nyamon in silence before anger twisted his face. "So that coward was never in harm's way."

"Yet," Keiko growled.

Ryo and Ken both stared at Keiko before they turned to look at each other, wordlessly.

Leomon let out a low growl himself. "It must have been like when I was controlled by Devimon… but how?"

Ken gave a start at that and turned to Leomon. "Devimon?!"

"Wait, what!?" Ryo echoed his own shock, nearly stumbling on the stairs.

"It has to be related," Nyamon said. "It was fairly coincidental that Devimon showed up when he did. He must have a connection to 'Chimeramon', who granted him the power to possess you."

"That bastard," Leomon grunted.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ken yelped as he turned to face Leomon, coming to an abrupt stop. "What does that mean!?"

"Back up a second!" Ryo said as he joined Ken, hurrying in front of the tall lion to stop his descent. "What's this about you and Devimon?!"

Leomon paused before his expression grew grave, and rather shame-faced. "A lot has happened while you were gone."

"Which the time distortion acting up again didn't help," Nyamon said as she flicked her ear.

Ken glanced between Nyamon and Leomon, helplessly. "S-so Devimon… came back?"

"It's the nature of the beast, Ken-chan," FlaWizarmon said, with a shrug. "Don't worry about it none. He's already been dealt with, an' sent right back to where he came from. It'll be a little while more before he can start sniffin' around again."

Ken felt a chill at that, which prompted him to hug Wormmon tightly to his chest. "So you… were you the one to beat him?"

"No," Leomon said, gravely. "He put me under some form of mind control… and had me attack the Chosen Children that had just arrived in our world. They are the ones who defeated him."

Ryo perked up at that. "More Chosen Children?!"

"Yup!" FlaWizarmon said as he flashed Ryo a grin. "Quite a shock, huh? Turns out that seven of the kidnapped eggs had wound up on File Island of all places, and called their Chosen to 'em! Who'd a thought?"

Ryo felt a rush of hope at that and he tentatively glanced towards FlaWizarmon and Witchmon. However, as quickly as the hope had been born, logic came in to dash it. "...And my partner wasn't…?" While he didn't want to dismiss it entirely, he knew that if his partner _had_ been among the seven, they would have brought him. And with the only new Digimon among the group being the elderly Gennai, Ryo knew his hope was dead before he had even voiced the thought.

FlaWizarmon paused before he grimaced and pulled the brim of his hat down. "'m sorry."

"I-it's fine," Ryo said, with a weak smile. "I mean, the fact that they were able to find their partners means it's only a matter of time before I find mine, right? I just… have to be patient."

Witchmon smiled sadly at the Chosen of Miracles. "That's right, dearie. And we'll help you every step of the way."

The rest of the trip downward was somber, the mood thoroughly diminished. The group continued in silence until they finally reached the bottom floor, the stairwell immediately opened in to a massive hallway that completely dwarfed anything the children had seen up until that point. While one end stretched outward before cutting off abruptly in to a gaping hole overlooking the steep mountain tops and valleys beyond, the other end of the hallway connected to an equally massive set of golden doors, with the crest of Miracles front and center, with Light to the right of it and Darkness to the left.

"I-it's so huge," Ken whispered as he gaped upwards at the door.

"'Course it is," FlaWizarmon said, with a grin. "There ain't no way he woulda been able to fit through it, otherwise!"

"He? He who?" Ryo asked.

"Lord Huanglongmon," Jijimon said, his voice solemn.

Babamon agreed as she lowered her head. "You stand before the throne room of Lord Huanglongmon himself… dearly departed."

"Lord Huanglongmon?" Ryo repeated, somewhat tentative.

"One of the three DigiGods that govern - or _used_ ta govern - our world," FlaWizarmon said, with a flick of his hand. "Narakumon, Tenraimon, an' Huanglongmon. Case ya didn't get the implication, Huanglongmon ain't around no more - an' he ain't comin' back."

"His duties have been split between Narakumon, Tenraimon, and the Holy Beasts," Witchmon said with a nod.

"But he's a Digimon, isn't he?" Ken asked, with wide eyes. "Can't he just be reborn?"

"Unlike most Digimon, who are either vaccines, viruses, or data types, the DigiGods are _programs_ ," Gennai said as he glanced back at the human children. "They weren't designed to _die_."

"Programs?" Ryo repeated, slowly.

"To put it in terms you humans are probably more familiar with, imagine the Digital World as a computer system," Gennai said as he turned to face the children, gesturing a circular motion with with his hands. "Narakumon is the delete key and recycle bin, as he allows you to purge or uninstall files off the system. Tenraimon would be the installation process and restore function, as she has the ability to create new files, retrieve previously deleted files, and install new programs. Huanglongmon… was the computer itself."

"The computer… itself?" Ken repeated.

Ryo's eyebrows shot straight up. "You mean the operating system!?"

Gennai nodded. "Yes. While other smaller programs such as myself can die with only minor consequences, the three Digi-Gods are vital for our world to continue functioning properly."

"So… what happened when Huanglongmon…?" Ryo asked tentatively, trailing off as he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Thanks to having a computer programmer for a father, he was able to follow the conversation far better than most children his age. Unfortunately, what his experience told him made him _very_ anxious about what the answer to his question would be.

"Bad crap, kid," Jijimon said. " _Very_ bad crap." The elder Digimon then tapped his staff against the ground. "But that ain't neither here nor there nor anywhere! Narakumon and Tenraimon did what they hadda to, an' are gonna _keep_ doin' what they gotta do to make sure our world keeps goin' strong. So why don't you all stop worryin' about the past and instead focus on the present, like kicking Chimeramon's ass for _real_ this time?"

"I agree," Gennai said, cheerfully. The elderly Digimon clapped his hands together before throwing them forward, palms outstretched, towards the massive door.

The doors gave a thunderous rumble before they began to open seemingly by themselves, slowly creeping open. As the doors moved, they gradually gave the human children a view of the gaudiest, most decadent throne room any of them had ever seen. Gold trimmed every inch of the white room, glistening blindingly in the light. Draconian statues made of the precious metal, covered in jewels, lined the walls as they lead the eye to an enormous golden throne that took up most of the room, a monument of authority and excess.

The throne was pointedly empty, it's purple and golden studded upholstery completely unused. Four large Digimon stood beside the throne, watching the human children and their entourage as they entered the throne room like ants walking through a canyon.

The Digimon in question were unfamiliar to Ryo and Ken, though that was to be expected. One was a serpentine blue dragon that seemed to be made out of clouds held together by chains, who looked at the chosen children with genuine curiosity. The second was a white tiger with a piercing stare and armaments befitting a general, his expression completely neutral without even a hint of his innermost thoughts. The third was a tan dual-headed turtle with dark brown face markings and shell, a tree growing straight out of his back. While he appeared somewhat jovial, the turtle could not hide his anxious fidgets, turning his attention from the humans, to the children, and back as he shifted weight between his feet like an uneasy child. The final Digimon was a multi-winged bird colored like blazing flames, red with yellow trim. His coloring matched the fierceness in his eyes as he looked at each of the Chosen in turn before focusing the majority of his intensity on the unflinching Keiko.

"Welcome, Chosen Children. It is good of you to come," the serpentine Digimon said. "I am Qinglongmon, Holy Beast of the East."

"I am Baihumon, Holy Beast of the West," the tiger Digimon said. "I see you wasted no time in answering our summons. I approve."

"Hello, hello, good to see you!" the turtle Digimon said, with surprising cheer. "I am Xuanwumon, Holy Beast of the North! I see you've even brought Lady Keiko! How nice!"

"I noticed as well," the bird said, narrowing his four eyes at once. "I do not recall inviting _you_ in to our lord's sacred throne room."

Keiko picked some dirt out from underneath her fingernails rather than bother meeting the murder in Zhuqiaomon's gaze.

"Now, now, Zhuqiaomon," Qinglongmon said, chidingly. "There is no reason to exclude Lady Keiko, or her entourage. They are, after all, servants of Lord Narakumon."

"Which should be reason enough," Zhuqiaomon said, his two left eyes glancing to the serpent while the others remained focused on Keiko.

Keiko glanced over at Ken and cupped her hand around his ear, as though she was going to whisper to him even though her voice didn't lower in the slightest. "Darkness overpowers Miracles, so Zhuqiaomon is terrified of upsetting Narakumon."

Zhuqiaomon's eyes glowed as his feathers rustled with flames. "Don't you mock me by pretending your power rivals mine in the slightest!"

"Enough," Baihumon said with a snort. "Rejecting valuable allies out of _pettiness_ leads only to failure - and death. If you wish to engage in such foolishness, you are welcome to it, but do it in your own lands - and on your own time."

"...As you say," Zhuqiaomon said, looking away.

"Um," Ken murmured softly, his eyes wide. "What was that about?"

"Politics," FlaWizarmon said, in a whisper that didn't try too hard to be one. "Like I said, bureaucrats."

"Also," Keiko whispered, "he's still sore from when I punched him in the beak."

Ryo gawked at Keiko after taking a quick glance at the Holy Beasts, who all were as big as buildings. "You _what_?"

Keiko shrugged, her expression innocent. "He hates humans, and I don't take kindly to being threatened."

"And he didn't take kindly to being reminded that Keiko can and will stand up to him," Nyamon said, with a sly smirk. "Sore beak, sore loser."

Witchmon gave a sharp-toothed smile towards the Chosen of Darkness. "Of course Lady Keiko knows better than to _provoke_ him when there's work to be done. Isn't that right, dearie?"

"I haven't said a word to Zhuqiaomon yet," Keiko said sweetly as she pressed her fingertips together.

"Not - a - word," Nyamon agreed, just as sweetly.

"True 'nuff!" FlaWizarmon said, with a chuckle.

"We have called you here with regards to Chimeramon," Qinglongmon said as he turned to face the Chosen Children. "And we ask for your help in defeating him, as you have done so in the past."

"As _temporary_ as it was," Zhuqiaomon said, with a hint of snideness in his voice.

"All Digimon deaths are temporary," Baihumon said, blandly. "In this case, he simply didn't learn the error of his ways and now seeks to challenge _us_ … and appears capable of gaining equal footing, if left alone to his own devices."

"Which is pretty alarming, in and of itself!" Xuanwumon said as he shook both of his heads. "The fact that he can grow so strong, so quickly… he's a rather _talented_ little Digimon!"

" _Talented_ or not, he must be dealt with," Baihumon said. "And you seem to be in the best position to do so."

"I agree," Keiko said as she raised her hand, clenching it into a fist

"He may think he's impressin' everyone with his lil' dog and pony show," FlaWizarmon said as he pulled down the brim of his hat. "But all he's doin' is advertisin' his serious need of an ass whoopin'."

Ryo looked from the giant Digimon before him to his friends, especially little Ken. He barely managed to stifle his grimace until he turned away. "I know we fought Chimeramon before, but how're we supposed to defeat him for real if we can't even find out who he really is?"

"What do you mean?" Qinglongmon asked, curiously.

"Chimeramon was a puppet," Keiko said as she cocked her head slightly. "What was in that castle wasn't a real Digimon, but something similar being controlled by the real Chimeramon, if that's even what he really is called."

Qinglongmon's brow shot up before he turned to look at Baihumon, whose own brow creased in thought. "Is that so…"

"Powers such as that…," Baihumon said, slowly. "Until this moment, I would have considered it impossible - unthinkable."

"Too bad it isn't," Keiko said as she held her hands out in an incomplete shrug.

"Well!" Xuanwumon said. "That's certainly… interesting news!"

Zhuqiaomon narrowed his eyes as he stared at Keiko, then turned his attention to the rest of the Holy Beasts. "It could be a lie."

"Lies that can easily be disproven are pointless," Baihumon said with a flick of his ear. He then turned his attention down to Keiko and the other humans. "If what you say is true, Chosen Children, then we will be able to assist you," The tiger turned to Gennai. "Gennai."

"I will look in to it right away," Gennai said, with a nod. "And see if I can come up with a way that'll allow us to sever his connection - or, better yet, use it to track him and discover his current location _and_ identity."

"In the meantime, please continue as you normally would," Qinglongmon said. "Containing his expanding empire will be the first priority while we wait for Gennai to find a way to neutralize this strange ability of his."

Ryo rubbed the back of his neck as he rubbed the back of his leg with the top of his foot, wondering why they were there for this meeting at all. "I guess we'll… keep beating up Chimeramon's goons?"

"Sounds good to me," Nyamon said as she crossed her arms.

"Yep, business as usual!" FlaWizarmon said with great cheer. He then glanced towards Keiko, his expression thoughtful. "An' if that's the case, we may wanna add a bit more to Ken-chan's arsenal… besides Mister Sparky, I mean."

"Huh?" Ken looked up at that, blinking. "Do you mean more training?"

"Nooot quite, dearie," Witchmon said, clapping her hands together.

Keiko inclined her head towards FlaWizarmon and Witchmon, an excited gleam sparking like flame in her eyes. "Are we going to get Ken and Ryo's Digimentals?"

"Yep~!" FlaWizarmon said, cheerfully. "If this is gonna be a longer fight than before, it wouldn't hurt to have an extra boost, dontcha know~! We can pick up Miracles on our way out, then hit ol' Xuanwumon's temple to get Kindness~!"

Xuanwumon paused at that, his eyes widening. "Ah, well… I don't think that'll be necessary."

Keiko snapped her head around, her blazing red eyes fixed on Xuanwumon as her mouth pursed in a displeased curve. " _We_ think it's necessary to get one of _our_ Digimentals, and _we_ are the ones who'll be fighting Chimeramon."

Xuanwumon paused at that before he began to perspire. His eyes began to shift about the room, focusing on the other Holy Beasts rather than on Keiko. "Er, well, I mean… it's a rather long trip to my temple, and I'm really not set up for visitors… quite a mess, you see… leaves everywhere..."

Keiko took a menacing step towards Xuanwumon, back rigid and fists clenched, unflinching at the fact that the Holy Beast was easily ten times her size. "You think some _leaves_ would stop us from getting something that belongs to Ken?"

"I-it's alright," Ken said, his voice soft. "I… I don't want to be a bother-"

"No, hon, it's _not_ alright," Witchmon said, with a smile.

"It's your Digimental, an' you have a right to it." FlaWizarmon agreed.

"Well, it's just…," Xuanwumon trailed off for a moment. "He's a Chosen aligned with Light, and they're naturally weak anyway, so it's not like it'll do him much good-"

The word 'weak' had a dual reaction - at the same time it made Ken wince as if physically struck, it twisted Keiko's expression from displeased and suspicious to fury. In a streak of black she closed the distance between her and Xuanwumon, launching a fist upward to the underside of one of his turtle heads. Although it was too high for her to reach, her aura of pure Darkness went further than the limitations of her body and silenced the Holy Beast as it struck the underside of his jaw.

To the stunned amazement of onlookers, Xuanwumon was sent flying into the air end over end until he hit the ridiculously high ceiling of the temple and came crashing back onto the floor upside-down with the sound of crunching branches and leaves.

Ken wordlessly gaped at the uprooted Holy Beast, shock quickly replacing the pain on his face. It was an expression mirrored on not only Ryo's face but Leomon's as well.

"S-she just…" Leomon murmured.

"W-wow…" Wormmon said, softly.

"He asked for it," Jijimon said with a sniff. "Don't talk trash, don't get trashed. That's what _I'm_ talkin' about!"

Baihumon blandly watched Xuanwumon struggle to right himself, feet flailing in the air while suspended by his own tree. "Light is not weak - it simply must work harder to reach its full potential. They are just as capable of incredible strength as Darkness or Miracles. The fact that they must work order to achieve what comes more easily to the others is not a failing in and of itself."

Qinglongmon stared with wide eyes at his fellow Holy Beast's plight for a moment, until Xuanwumon flopped over onto his side to regain enough purchase to wobbily squat on the ground, before the dragon Digimon addressed Keiko as she walked back to her friends. "Chosen Child, was that truly necessary?"

Keiko glanced back over her shoulder at the massive dragon, her lip still curled in a displeased frown. " _No one_ insults Ken-chan."

Zhuqiaomon looked about ready to explode, rage blazing in his eyes. However, despite the intense emotion causing his entire body to quake, he managed to keep his voice even. " _Well_. If you're _done_ , _leave_. We have our own business to attend to, and so do _you_."

Keiko didn't so much as glance in Zhuqiaomon's direction, instead focused solely on Ken as she approached him, placing the hand she just used to punch such a massive Digimon gently on her friend's shoulder. "Ready to get your Digimental, Ken-chan?" she asked brightly with a sweet smile.

"I…" Ken hesitated before he gave a small, tentative nod. "O-okay."

"Don't worry, Ken-chan," FlaWizarmon said. "It's all good~!"

Witchmon winked with a friendly razor-tipped smile. "Digimentals are pretty fun when you've got a bunch of them."

"Well, then," Gennai said as he turned to the Chosen Children. "Shall we go? We have our work cut out for us."

Keiko nodded at that before she turned her backs to the Holy Beasts, with the others following suit as they made their way towards the massive doorway that awaited them.

Baihumon watched as the Chosen Children and their entourage left, his expression as unreadable as always. It wasn't until the mighty doors closed that he finally lowered his gaze, letting out a low rumble. "A puppet, you say…"

"As I said, it could be a lie," Zhuqiaomon said, narrowing his eyes. "One spun by her wretched master, to try and make himself seem necessary."

"He _is_ necessary," Qinglongmon said, with a shake of his head. "He'd have no reason to lie about this."

"Unless _he's_ the reason for this threat in the first place!" Zhuqiaomon said, with a growl. "And he's trying to clean up his mess! You can't deny that's a possibility! _Especially_ when the powers this 'Chimeramon' sound like that of a _god_!"

"Yes, they do," Baihumon agreed, slowly. "And it is entirely possible that Narakumon _is_ at fault for our current situation."

"You see!?" Zhuqiaomon practically crowed. "We should stop engaging in such foolishness and focus more on neutralizing _his_ influence in this world, starting with-"

"But not _directly_ ," Baihumon interrupted, his ears canting back. "He might not be at fault for our current issues - merely the architect of them."

"What?" Xuanwumon asked, blinking both heads. "What do you mean?"

"Those powers… while clearly divine, they do not fit the sort that either Narakumon or Tenraimon are capable of," Baihumon growled.

"But if not them, then who-" Xuanwumon began before he stopped as all his eyes widened in realization. "- _Oh_. Oh. Oh my."

All of the Holy Beasts were at attention now, as a single Digimon held their attention down to their very data. None of them could forget their true master.

"...What did that bastard _do_." Zhuqiaomon said, with a low growl.

"There's no proof that he has done anything," Qinglongmon said. "Only theories."

"Then what if this is _their_ doing?" Zhuqiaomon spat, his wings slashing at the air around him, leaving behind streaks of fire. "Those selfish, cruel humans coveting the power of gods for their own, blindly meddling in things they don't understand and damning our world and even theirs! If it wasn't for them, our world wouldn't be tainted by their presence!"

"If only those damn humans never came here," Xuanwumon muttered, the very land vibrating around him with his words. "Then we would have no Dark Ocean, no Chosen Children, and our lord… then Lord Huanglongmon…"

The name alone awakened a pain carved so deep that not even centuries could heal, silencing even the most vocal of the Holy Beast for a moment that stretched on far too long.

"We don't know," Baihumon finally said, breaking the dark silence with a solemn voice. "And I doubt that he would admit to anything, if asked."

"Which is why we should focus more on handling the situation at hand," Qinglongmon said. "Once that's been taken care of, _then_ … we can focus on _other_ issues."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Zhuqiaomon said, his voice low and menacing.


	21. Chapter 21

It was impossible to track the flow of time within the depths of the shadowed ocean. Minutes, hours, days, months, years could fly by without even a single hint that any time had passed at all. Save for the ever shifting currents, everything remained the same - the same darkness, the same emptiness, with only the occasional memory bubbling up to disrupt it.

" _W-wow," Ken murmured as he stared in wonder at the two altars within the large room, which seemed to be created out of the vegetation itself - with leafy, branch-covered bark making up the walls as roots became entwined together to create the floor. The altars at the center of the room appeared to be a part of the foliage themselves, one made up of lilies and the other roses._

 _It was the rose-encrusted one that Ken approached, finding what he had been told was his 'Digimental' - a closed pink blossom, with delicate-looking petals curled inward as each proudly displayed the Crest of Kindness on its center._

 _Keiko stood not too far off, her eyes focused intently on Xuanwumon as the massive turtle kept a sizable distance from the Chosen Children. Her expression seemed to dare Xuanwumon to utter even one complaint, but fortunately the Holy Beast clearly had no intention of meeting said dare._

 _Ken took the Digimental off the altar before he looked down at it in his hands. "It feels so light… are you sure it's okay? I won't break it?"_

" _Don't worry," Nyamon said. "It might look fragile, but it's actually very strong. It'll be fine." She flashed the young boy a grin. "Just like you."_

 _Ken paused at that before a light flush of pink crossed his face, positively beaming with happiness and embarrassment._

A second bubble joined the first, trying its best to hold firm against the violent current.

" _Greetings," came the dignified greeting from the humanoid Digimon. He looked like a paladin, with his white plate mail decorated with gold and purple beneath his long purple robe, though the matching colored tall hood he wore seemed more befitting of a wizard. The Digimon pressed his left hand to his chest as he gave a bow. "I am Mystimon. I have been tasked by Lord Xuanwumon to assist you."_

" _Oh, really?" Ken asked, with wide eyes. "You're going to help us?"_

" _I swear upon my life," Mystimon said, with great seriousness._

" _Great!" Ryo said, smiling brightly. "We can use all the help we can get!"_

 _FlaWizarmon and Witchmon shared a glance with each other as they kept their distance, wearing matching bemused expressions._

" _Babysitter?" FlaWizarmon asked in a low voice, quirking an eyebrow at Witchmon._

" _Babysitter." Witchmon agreed, with a toothy smirk._

The smaller spheres were quickly overcome by a small gathering of bubbles being thrown about the swirling waters, with a particularly large one at the center with an ephemeral vision in its sheen.

 _Ken hummed as he sat at the cooking pot, attentatively watching the stew boil, the creamy broth hiding a plethora of ingredients ranging from vegetables to bits of meat as it slowly cooked on the fire._

 _Hovering nearby, Bokomon watched Ken work, alternating between tending to the fire to keep it going and assisting the human should he need it. Though it was his intended job, the Kappa Digimon couldn't help but be silently proud at how far his pupil had come - or how delicious the food smelled._

 _Of course, all the other Digimon were far less silent in their appreciation._

" _Kennnnnnnnn," Neemon whined as he wobbled back and forth. "Is it doooone yeeeeet?"_

" _Not yeeeeet," Ken replied, with a smile. "Aaaalmost!"_

" _It smells so good, Ken-chan!" Wormmon said as he patiently waited on the picnic blanket his partner had set out for him. "You're such a good cook!"_

" _Of course he is!" Bokomon said as he puffed up his chest. "He learned from the best, so it's only natural!"_

" _I admit, it does smell very good," Leomon said as he stood off to the side, trying to appear far less eager for the food than he actually was._

" _Show some self control," Mystimon said as he watched the smaller Digimon hop about. "You just ate this morning. You-" His words instantly faltered, drowned out by the roar of his hungry belly, which prompted a deep red to appear on his face before he quickly looked away to hide it._

 _Ryo couldn't help but laugh at the antics of the Digimon and flashed a beaming smile at Ken. "You should be proud, you know. You've learned how to cook all by yourself and so good_ _ **everyone**_ _can't wait to eat it!"_

" _We've become spoiled," Nyamon said as she sat beside Wormmon, a grin on her face. "Anyone would be, if they got to eat Ken's cooking all the time. It's worlds better than the slop Keiko and I_ _**used**_ _to eat."_

" _Hey, now, whatcha tryin' to say?" FlaWizarmon asked, trying to sound affronted, but his smile gave his ruse away._

 _Keiko smirked as she folded her arms across her chest. "Not every meal is improved by being burnt to a crisp first."_

 _FlaWizarmon let out a good natured laugh as he slapped his pants. "Everyone's a critic!"_

" _It wasn't made with Kindness, so of course it couldn't compare~!" Witchmon said, with a giggle as she reached under FlaWizarmon's hat to ruffle his hair._

 _Wormmon was practically beaming. "That's right! Ken-chan makes the best food in the whole wide world!"_

 _Ken's cheeks tinted as he continued to cook, a gentle smile on his face. "Don't think that buttering me up will make this cook any faster."_

As the large sphere drifted off, another came to take its place with a vision of its own.

" _Aren't you afraid?" Ken asked, glancing at Keiko in obvious discomfort._

" _No," Keiko said, firmly. "I'm not afraid of Chimeramon, or anyone who supports him."_

" _But what if he…," Ken trailed off before he grimaced. "What if Nyamon…?"_

 _Keiko turned to look at Ken for several moments before her expression softened. "Don't worry about Nyamon. So long as I'm alive, she will never die."_

As the bubbles were swept away, the ocean once again grew calm, as whatever was rustling deep within the depths finally went still.


	22. Chapter 22

Author's Note: This Fragments was inspired by a question that was asked on our tumblr blog, DragonandTiger. Hopefully it will clarify any questions! When the next update comes, this chapter will be moved to its proper location, as the new Chapter 22.

* * *

Ken stared upward at the ceiling, mesmerized at how high above it was. He had never seen such a massive room before, with the walls around him stretched out farther than the ceiling was high, and the fact that it somehow fit in the Crystal Tower defied all logic. At the very least, he certainly never _saw_ any indication that such a place existed from the outside, with the tower itself always having appeared so sleek and _normal_ from the outside.

"Welcome to the training hall~!" FlaWizarmon said, twirling about with a flourish of his hands before gesturing grandly about him. The room itself was exceedingly large and spacious, but that didn't mean that it was empty. From varying terrains to targets of all shapes to weights and restrains, there was more than enough equipment to practice all sorts of fighting. "Courtesy of the Crystal Tower."

"This is… kind of crazy," Ken admitted, softly. "I mean, how can it even fit…?"

"Time and space really don't have any meaning here, darling," Witchmon said with a wink as she hovered about above the children on her broom. "The DigiGods can fit what - ev - er they want in their precious tower~!"

"Nyamon and I have trained here lots of times," Keiko said as she gestured to their surroundings. "It's the perfect place to practice fighting and evolution."

"You don't have to worry about evolving to a form that's far too big for the room," Nyamon agreed as she crossed her arms. "And there's always plenty of space to fly."

"O-oh," Ken murmured.

Wormmon's eyes were alight with excitement as he looked around the massive training hall before looking up at Ken. "This is perfect! We're finally going to get me to evolve, Ken-chan!"

Ken hesitated at that as he felt something clench in his chest at the mere suggestion. However, he quickly shoved it aside and tried to return Wormmon's excitement with a smile. "T-That's right! We… we're going to do this!"

"Right~!" FlaWizarmon said with a smile. "So, just hold up yer digivice and say 'Digimental Up', and the rest'll take care of itself!"

Ken gave a small nod before he pulled his Digivice out of his pocket. He stared down at the device in his hand as he felt as if his throat was about to leap up in to his chest. It was still rather disorienting to see his Digivice in its new form - white with pearl pink accents. It was a stark contrast to the smaller light blue it had been before. It was supposedly a symbol of his own personal growth, becoming unique to him.

The fact that he didn't feel any different was apparently irrelevant.

The Chosen of Kindness stared down at his Digivice's screen, where the pixelated icon of his Digimental sat, ready and waiting. When Keiko had first mentioned that his Digimental not only existed but would help him evolve Wormmon, he had been both excited and terrified at the same time. He was finally going to be useful; he was going to help his friends.

Either that, or he was going to get Wormmon killed by throwing him into the thick of battle.

Ken jerked before he gave his head a sharp shake, dispelling the negative thought, before he turned to smile at Wormmon. "O-okay… are you ready?"

Wormmon nodded, pumping his digits in the air with a serious expression to hide his excitement. "Ready, Ken-chan!"

"O-okay!" Ken said as he took a step back. He hesitated before he braced himself, lifting his digivice upwards as he snapped his eyes shut. "Di… Digimental up!"

Silence lingered for a moment before Ken tentatively opened his left eye. Through his squinting eye, he expected to see something - _anything_ \- other than Wormmon staring up at him. However, that was all he saw - Wormmin staring up at him with a expression that shifted from eager anticipation to confusion as the seconds ticked by. Ken paused before he fully opened both of his eyes, furrowing his brow. "Huh?"

FlaWizarmon gave a small blink, his arms crossed.

Witchmon cocked her head to the side. "Nothing?"

Ryo looked from Ken to Wormmon and back again, confused that there wasn't even the slightest spark of light from the Digivice. "That's strange. Why don't you try again?"

Ken frowned before he threw his digivice up again. "D-Digimental up!"

A hush fell over those spectating the scene, but though Ken skewed his eyes tightly shut and tried to imagine the Digimental doing something, nothing happened.

Ryo stared at Ken, utterly baffled, before he turned to Keiko. "What's going on?"

Keiko let out a quiet hum in response, frowning, before she walked over to Ken, placing her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Ken-chan. Your Digimental might not be charged up."

Ken lowered his hand to look at his digivice, frowning. If the information on the screen was anything to go by, his Digimental should've been fully charged. "I… is it defective…?" It would only be fitting that his supposed Digimental was as imperfect as he was.

FlaWizarmon frowned as he leaned over Ken to stare down at his Digivice. "Looks nice and ready ta me. I wonder what's up?"

A click of a pen drew Ken's attention behind him. He jumped at the sight of Zennyu looming over him, who he knew for certain hadn't been in the training room a minute ago, let alone standing so close behind him.

"Energy is not the only factor that goes into evolution," Zennyu said, his expression impassive as he stared down at Ken. "You are not ready to evolve your partner."

"H-huh?" Ken stared up at Zennyu, his expression blank. "I'm… I'm not… ready?"

Zennyu dashed down a note on his clipboard. "No. Until you're prepared to evolve Wormmon, you will never be able to achieve it."

"B-but… but I _am_ prepared!" Ken protested as a rush of panic flooded him. He felt decidedly guilty, as if he had done something wrong. He quickly lifted his Digivice to show Zennyu the screen. "See? I… we got my Digimental and everything! So, I… I'm trying my best…!"

"No one is questioning your willingness to try," Zennyu said, before writing something else. "That isn't the problem holding you back."

Ken hesitated before he grimaced. "Then… what? What's… wrong with me?"

Zennyu pointed his pen at Ken, the tip hovering just centimeters from the boy's nose. " _That_."

Ken blinked then stared down at the pen tip, his expression blank.

Wormmon furrowed his brow. "Ken-chan's nose?"

Zennyu let out a weary sigh as his eyes drifted to the ceiling. Only after he scratched something else onto his notepad did he look back down at Ken. "No. The fact that you would ask _that question_ is the problem."

"Huh?" Ken's eyes widened. "W-what?"

"He means you lack confidence, Ken," Higashi said as he approached the group, a small smile on his face. "The fact that you automatically assumed something was wrong with you is the very problem preventing you from reaching your full potential. Without confidence or a sense of self-worth, you'll have great difficulty in evolving your partner - even a Digimental can't overcome that."

Ken blinked again before his expression grew troubled. "So it… _is_ my fault…?"

Zennyu groaned before rubbing his temple. "As long as you believe things like that, you will not be able to evolve Wormmon."

"B-but… I…" Ken muttered, struggling. It sounded like it _was_ his fault, but they were saying it was his fault because he thought it was his fault. But by that very definition, it meant it _was_ his fault - which in turn, was the very problem itself. At the end, it seemed like no matter how he looked at it, he was trapped in a cycle with no escape.

FlaWizarmon reached down to ruffle Ken's hair, startling the boy out of his moping. "It just means you need confidence, Ken-chan~! That's all, no big deal. So don't worry yourself over it, yeah?"

Witchmon gave Ken a wink. "It just means you need to focus on all the things you _can_ do."

Zennyu went back to writing on his clipboard. "You also need to accept your fears of evolution."

Ken yelped as he tried to shield his hair from FlaWizarmon, even as the Digimon continued to ruffle it. He then turned to stare at Zennyu again. "My... fears?"

Zennyu clicked his pen twice in a slow, methodical motion. "What do you believe will happen once you evolve Wormmon?"

"Um, well," Ken struggled for a response as he fidgeted with his digivice. "I-I guess he'd… get bigger, and stronger..."

"And?" Zennyu pressed.

Ken trailed off in to silence, awkwardly fidgeting with his digivice.

"You don't need to answer just yet," Higashi said, with a reassuring smile. "Just think about it, and give it time."

"Don't worry, Ken-chan," Keiko said as she reached out to give Ken's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Take all the time you need."

"That's right~!" FlaWizarmon said brightly as he laced his fingers behind his head. "Lady Keiko and Nyamon 're more than enough to take anything that gets thrown atcha, so don't feel like you hafta do anything yer not comfortable doin`! The whole Digimental thing was just a thought, y'know?"

Ken looked hesitant before he gave a small nod, offering his friends a weak smile. Even if he was deeply troubled by what he was hearing, he didn't want to worry his friends. Besides, he couldn't deny that some small part of him wasn't _relieved_ that things turned out the way he did - even if he felt immensely guilty for feeling that way. "A-alright..."

Wormmon watched the exchange before he drooped slightly. He didn't fully understand what was happening, but he was at least able to understand one thing - Ken was having problems evolving him. And given what Higashi and Zennyu said, it was becoming increasingly clear what those problems were. The insect Digimon couldn't blame Ken either, not that he would have anyway. Wormmon was very much aware that he wasn't as impressive as Nyamon or Leomon. How could Ken have faith in him when compared to so many incredible Digimon? Still, he wasn't about to give up. He had to try harder, work harder, and make sure he was supporting Ken to the best of his abilities.

Maybe then Ken would be able to believe in him, and he'd finally earn his place as Ken's partner.


	23. Chapter 23

The massive steel doors gave way like tissue paper, bursting inward beneath Nyamon's gauntlet as she punched her way in. With the entryway no longer barred, the three Chosen Children and their Digimon rushed inside. Nyamon led the way, with Leomon, Witchmon, FlaWizarmon, Mystimon, and Wormmon in hot pursuit as the children took up the rear.

The group was immediately greeted by a dark throne room, shrouded completely in darkness. Stone pillars lined the walls with a massive throne of gold at the far end of the room, with only the light from the door chasing away the shadows that obscured them - without much success.

Ryo glanced about the room, clenching his fists. His eyes searched the shadow, to little success, before he scowled. "Chimeramon!" His voice echoed through the room. "We know you're here!"

"Your army has been defeated," Leomon said, his sword drawn. "This all ends with you!"

From the far side of the room, a pair of golden eyes stared at the humans from the safety of the shadows. The most of its body was obscured by the dim lighting, though pointed ears and a long tail could be seen even with the cover of darkness. After a moment, the small form quickly scurried behind the pillars, out of view before the intruders could spot it. The sound of footsteps caught Nyamon's attention, who whirled to focus where the eyes had been moments before.

"Show yourself!" Nyamon demanded, pointing her claws at the side of the room and the shadows that lurked there.

"An' don't think of tryin' to detonate your decoy again," FlaWizarmon said as he twirled his matchstick. "Witchmon'll just warp it out again~!"

"I certainly don't mind," Witchmon said with a giggle as she sat on her broom. "There's something rather amusing about using your 'ultimate weapon' to blow up your own forces~!"

"Justice will prevail. You will answer for your crimes," Mystimon said as he brandished his sword menacingly at the unseen foe they addressed. "Submit yourself to Lord Xuanwumon's judgment!"

A pregnant silence descended over the room, devoid of reply. If the group hadn't known any better, they would have thought that the room was completely empty, and they had been shouting threats at nothing.

However, they _did_ know better.

Leomon narrowed his eyes, his tail lashing behind him. "Stop hiding, you _coward_ , and _fight_!"

" _Coward_? You think _I_ am _afraid_ of _you_?" a voice sneered from within the darkness. "I, who is nigh a _god_ compared to such a motley crew of _vermin_?"

The ground before the throne began to glow gold and, before the Chosen's very eyes, a form materialized in front of them. Data flew in from every corner of the room, taking the form of a massive, grotesque Digimon they had never seen before. A massive four-armed beast with a black upper body, dark purple legs, and twin cannons attached to his back. Glowing gold and blue energy hovered just above his skin, taking the form of the upper torso of a dragon that draped across his back and shoulders like an ephemeral shawl. He glared down at the Chosen through a jagged black mask, which sported a single, massive horn on the tip of his nose and allowed only his golden eyes and wild purple hair to peek out from beneath it.

"How _disappointing_ for you," the Digimon said, with a sneer. "To come all this way, to fight so hard, only to _fail_." He chuckled before rearing up to his hind legs.. "But worry not. In my infinite mercy, I am bestowing upon you a great honor - _death_ by my own claws."

"That voice…," Ken muttered, his eyes widening. "Chimeramon!?"

The massive beast paused before he gave a derisive snort. " _Do_ try to keep up, you stupid dreck. Chimeramon was nothing than my previous _outdated_ form. I have _surpassed_ Chimeramon, evolving into perfection, and stand before you now as _Millenniumon_. _Lord_ Millenniumon to _you_."

Ken blinked slowly before he furrowed his brow. "But… you said you were perfect as _Chimeramon_ -"

" _As I said_ ," Millenniumon said, sharply. "Try - to - keep - up, you - _stupid - dreck_."

Ken flinched before he stepped back, bringing up his arms defensively as if to ward away the massive Digimon's words.

Ryo stepped in front of Ken to shield the younger boy, his gaze never straying from their enemy. "Calling yourself perfect all the time isn't enough to convince anyone when you keep changing what you look like every time we defeat you."

Keiko moved to Ryo's side as she cracked her knuckles. "Be a good boy and stay dead this time."

Millenniummon let out a low growl before he crouched, the two cannons on his back dropping down to aim over his shoulders at the humans. "You'll pay for your insolence, _rodents_!"

Nyamon quickly dove in front of Keiko and Ryo, bringing her claws up defensively. Leomon similarly moved in front, using his sword as a shield. Together, the two blocked the cannon shots, deflecting them off so that they hit the pillars to either side of the room, caving the walls in.

"Keiko!" Nyamon said, her ears canting back.

Keiko nodded as she raised her Digivice. "Right."

Nyamon glowed with the light of evolution, rapidly flying through the next stage in her evolutionary chain before arriving at the very top. No longer a cat, Nyamon instead turned into a beautiful woman with long flowing black hair that fell past her feet as a pair of black wings spread out wide behind her. White robes reminiscent of a greek goddess appeared on her body, coiling around her legs and arms, before she reached up as a scythe manifested seemingly out of thin air. Twirling it about, she turned to glare her ruby eyes at her opponent. " _Nyxmon_!"

Leomon similarly began to glow as evolution took over him as well. The anthropomorphic lion was replaced with a far more primal beast, a golden lion with black feet and matching black saber tusks in his mouth, with strange golden runes etched into the tusks. His mane puffed out like a frilled necklace, the tips bright red to match the hair on the tip of his tail, the stripes that covered his body, and the bands on the four strands of orange hair that trailed out the back of his head. His large ears flicked back as he crouched, letting out a roar. " _Saber Leomon_!"

"Get back, Ken!" Ryo said as he moved protectively in front of the younger boy.

Ken scooped up Wormmon in his arms and stepped back, his expression uneasy. "O-okay…"

"Don't worry, Ken-chan!" Wormmon said. "I'll protect you!"

"Learn to protect yourself first, before you make promises you have no hope of keeping!" Millenniumon retorted before he aimed his cannons at the two Ultimates, firing again. " _Die_!"

Nyxmon used her scythe to block the attacks, so that it didn't come near the human children as they quickly retreated to safety by the entrance to the room. "How can you kill _Death_?"

"By being a _god_!" Millenniummon retorted before he shot again, watching as Nyxmon and Saber Leomon both scattered to try and maneuver around him.

"What's a god to a nonbeliever?" Ryo said with a cheeky grin.

" _Just as dead_!" Millenniummon snapped back, whipping his claw about to smack Saber Leomon away when the beast tried to pounce on his flank.

Keiko folded her arms in front of her and regarded Millenniummon with a cool look as she watched the battle closely. "You really are pathetic. No matter how many times you reinvent yourself, you're never going to be as good as you claim to be."

Millenniummon's cheek twitched before he whirled to face Keiko, his golden eyes narrowed with rage. He aimed both cannons at the diminutive girl. "Let us see you make that claim when you're scattered in pieces across the room!"

As the massive dragon turned his attention away to the children, Nyxmon was the opportunity to lunge at Millenniummon's exposed back - his cannons in particular. The blade of her scythe slashed at the left-most cannon and, despite the weapon currently charging, managed to neatly slice off the tip.

Millenniummon let out a startled roar as the cannon sparked before releasing its energy outward in a blast, damaging not only itself but the left side of its owner's back _and_ its comrade parked next to it.

Saber Leomon followed up the assault by launching himself at the mighty dragon's leg, biting hard into his calf as he plunged in his massive fangs. He was rewarded for his actions with a yowl, and a violent shake before he was ripped free and flung across the room.

Millenniummon crouched as he let out a growl, bits of golden data slowly reforming around his wounds, sealing not only the gaping wound on his leg but repairing his cannon as well. "You'll have to do better than _that_ , fools. Much, _much_ better."

"Crud," Ryo muttered under his breath.

Keiko sighed before straightening her back. "Another battle of attrition it is."


	24. Chapter 24

"So what's your family back home like, Keiko?"

Keiko's hands stilled from their work of weaving a lean-to from vines and wood. She didn't turn around to look at Ken, who was only innocently trying to start a conversation while cutting up vegetables with Ryo's army knife. The half-formed camp was fairly empty with just the two Chosen Children and their partners, and the silence eventually became too much for Ken.

Unfortunately, the pregnant pause after his question served to make Ken feel little at ease.

"Good," Keiko said as she went back to tying knots. "Narakumon is grumpy because everyone expects him to be a jerk, and Tenraimon is really nice, and they make out all the time."

"Oh, uh, I didn't mean them," Ken said awkwardly. "I meant back in the real world…?"

Another pause followed, this one even heavier than before. "I don't have any family on Earth."

Ken stared at Keiko in shock before he grimaced, rather shamefaced. "S-sorry, I… I didn't mean..."

"Don't be mad at Ken-chan!" Wormmon said, immediately growing frantic seeing how wounded Ken looked. "He didn't know your human family is dead for good. He just worries about his mom and dad and big brother a lot, and he worries about Ryo's mom and dad, so he was worrying about yours too. Ken-chan is very, very kind like that."

Keiko let out a huff of air, her tense shoulders slumping back a bit as she turned her gaze to the sky, though her back still faced the two working on dinner. "Don't you _dare_ feel sorry for her." The words came out in a caustic growl that could burn away stone. "That woman doesn't deserve you or anyone else feeling sorry her. She's rotting in Hell where she belongs!"

Ken stared at Keiko, shock quickly taking over his guilt on his face. "Huh?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Keiko saw Nyamon's concerned expression, but she was in no mood for comfort. "The woman who gave birth to me…" Her mouth twisted in an ugly sneer and her red eyes blazed like fire as she finally glanced back towards Ken. "She was the most vile human to ever live. She deserved to die."

Ken could do nothing but continue to stare at Keiko, stunned completely silent. He didn't know how to react to what Keiko was saying, let alone how to respond to it, so he instead simply stared at the Chosen of Darkness.

"Who deserved to die?" Ryo asked with an armload of fruit as he led the rest of group. His demeanor was tense, not really wanting to hear the answer, but when the first thing upon his return to camp was such a statement and Ken's horrified expression, he instinctively felt the protective urge to draw attention away from his young friend.

FlaWizarmon looked at Keiko, whose guarded expression actually told him everything he needed to know. He turned to give Ryo a bright grin as he hefted up the firewood he had gathered. "Don't you worry 'bout that none, Lord Ryo!" He then focused on Ken, who instinctively turned to meet his gaze. "An' the same to you, Ken-chan. Put it outta yer mind~!"

"Huh? Oh, um," Ken faltered, glancing over to Keiko before returning his attention to the scarecrow. "O-okay…"

Witchmon had her ghostly little feline familiar set down the huge slab of meat that was bigger than she was by the fire and Ken as she floated over to Keiko. "It's okay, hon," she said softly by the young girl's ear. "Take a deep breath and remember you're safe. That woman can't hurt you or anyone you care about anymore."

Keiko turned her jagged ruby gaze to the crowd of people staring at her before focusing it sharply on the lean-to. She tugged on vines with excessive force, but although she said nothing in response, she did her best to breathe deep and even her racing pulse.

A phantom touch brushed against Keiko's shoulder, opposite Witchmon. The Chosen of Darkness knew who it belonged to without even having to look. After all, it would only draw attention to something that none of the others could see - the ephemeral shape of Narakumon as he reached to touch her shoulder.

The sensation made Keiko's eyes sting, but she shut them, refusing to break down further than she had already. The turmoil of emotions swirling blackly inside her heart threatened to overwhelm her in spite of her resentment towards it.

" _Darkness always has the worst cross to bear, the path filled with the most trials," Narakumon said, softly. "But you are not walking it alone. Just as you have joined me in my journey, I have joined you in yours. We will not be broken by these worlds, or anything in them."_

Keiko nodded ever so slightly and rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes with unneeded harshness. "St… stop looking at me like that. I'm fine. I'm past this."

Nyamon's ears canted back before she wordlessly moved to wrap her paws around Keiko's waist, hugging her with surprising gentleness despite her large gauntlets.

FlaWizarmon and Witchmon shared a glance before they turned their attention to keeping the others occupied, turning their backs to the Chosen of Darkness.

 _Narakumon was quiet for a moment before he looked away, though he didn't remove his hand from her shoulder. "Yes, you are. You are strong."_

A tear escaped in spite of Keiko's desperate attempts to fight the urge to cry, but it didn't last long before she wiped it away.

* * *

A heavy cloud hung over Keiko for the next several days that left her speaking in short sentences to everyone and Ken agonizing with guilt. He kept apologizing until eventually Keiko snapped at him to stop and left for the woods with Nyamon for an entire day under the pretense of scouting the area around their current camp. When the two returned, an unpleasant quiet hung thick like fog that lasted well until the next day when they resumed traveling.

Ryo tried everything he could to lighten the mood, but his attempts were no match for his social awkwardness.

"So, uh, Keiko, think it'll rain today?" he asked with what he hoped wasn't too strained a smile.

Keiko merely let out a grunt and shrugged, not bothering to take her eyes away from the foliage in front of them as Nyamon hacked away at the branches to carve a path for them.

Ryo couldn't stop the sigh that escaped him before he glanced back at Ken trailing behind him. "I hope not, since I'm not ready for another cold shower after we had to get a bath in that freezing river last night, right Ken?"

Ken glanced over at Keiko before he looked away, hugging Wormmon to his chest. "R-right…"

FlaWizarmon watched the exchange before he glanced at Witchmon, who returned the look. He then glanced upward, lacing his fingers behind his head. "So! Who wants to take bets on who we'll be fightin' at ye ominous fortress in the middle of nowhere _this_ time… Millie or _yet another_ minion?"

"It doesn't matter," Keiko said with a sharpness to her voice to rival Nyamon's claws.

FlaWizarmon paused at that before he smiled crookedly. "True 'nuff, Lady Darkness."

"Eeeeeh, scary, so scary…" Neemon whined as his whole body drooped, from his sagging shoulders to his canting ears. "Bokomoooon, who's scarier? Millenniumon or Keiko?"

"I-idiot!" Bokomon snapped as he reached up to grab Neemon's ear, giving it a twist. "Do you have _anything_ going on in that empty head of yours!?"

Mystimon watched as Neemon failed about as Bokomon punished him for his comments, before wordlessly turning to fix a stare on Keiko as she pointedly ignored both the antics and the comment that lead up to them.

Ryo let out a breath that was somewhere between a sigh and a groan. He didn't think he could stand the tension for much longer, especially not if they reached Millenniumon. He racked his brain for some sort of topic until the first thought to pop into his head came spilling out of his mouth. "I think I've figured out what kind of Digimon Millenniumon is."

It didn't even take a second for Ryo to regret saying anything, as everyone stopped to stare directly at him with curious, eager eyes that he could see were expecting some brilliant epiphany that would end this mess once and for all. He tried to mutter out a, "Never mind," but it came out as a loose assortment of noises from a suddenly dry throat.

Witchmon suddenly came up behind Ryo and leaned against him, forcing him to take notice of her large chest pressed against the back of his head, turning his face a brighter shade of red. "Don't be shy, hon. What kind of Digimon is he?"

Ryo swallowed hard a few times to clear his throat from a sandy desert to merely a parched tundra. "A cockroach."

The word came out squashed the second it left Ryo's mouth like verbal roadkill as he could practically _feel_ the disapproval of the others for attempting such a weak joke. Instinctively, he scrunched in on himself, wanting to disappear, when he was startled again by Witchmon as she let out a laugh like the tinkling of bells.

"Well, there _is_ at least one cockroach Digimon out there," Witchmon said jovially. "It'd just figure if that Millie- _peed_ was just a bug all along, wouldn't it?"

"A bug beggin' to be _squashed_!" FlaWizarmon agreed, chuckling as he pulled up the brim of his hat.

Ken let out an awkward laugh, more for Ryo's benefit than any humor at the joke. He could tell right away that his friend was mortified at how badly his joke had failed, and neither FlaWizarmon nor Witchmon were making the situation any better.

Keiko flexed her fingers into fists then stretched her hands with unpleasant popping sounds. "They're all cockroaches - him and his followers."

Ryo cringed, a shiver running through him from Keiko's chilling words. "Y… yeah. I… I guess so. But we'll stop them." He flinched at how weakly his voice came out. "…Sooner or later."

Nyamon glanced between Ryo and Keiko, her suppression neutral, before she paused. Her ear gave a small flick before her eyes narrowed. Without warning, Nyamon whipped about to swing her gauntlets towards Ken, startling everyone out of their conversation - even Keiko.

The guitar let out a discordant belt of music as it landed hard against Nyamon's gauntlets, inches from Ken's stunned face. Wormmon cried out his partner's name in pure panic from his partner's arms as the Chosen of Kindness stepped back instinctively. Nyamon's eyes narrowed as she glared at Kyoumon, who struggled to push down on the guitar without much success.

"You're starting to annoy me," Nyamon said, glaring at the puppet.

"Rudemon annoys Kyoumon already!" Kyoumon retorted.

" _Him_ again?" FlaWizarmon asked rhetorically as he scratched at the back of his head. "I guess it _has_ been a while since his last attack, hasn't it?"

Nyamon threw her arms forward, flinging Kyoumon back so that the puppet landed with a squeal a sizeable distance away. "If you want to keep swinging at me, fine. But if you take another swing at Ken, so help me…"

"I'll fight you!" Wormmon shouted as he held up two of his digits. "If you try to hurt Ken-chan again, I'll fight you and stop you!"

Kyoumon stumbled up and dusted himself off, then turned to fix Nyamon with a glare of his own. "Rudemon and Rude Humanmon are a matching set!"

"Kyoumon."

The strange Digimon jerked back and whirled to stare at Keiko, who fixed him with a frosty gaze that pierced his plush body to its very core. He stared at the Chosen of Darkness with wide eyes, his tail puffing up as his ears canted back.

"If you come after Ken again, I'll destroy you myself." Keiko said, her voice cutting him like a razor. "Do you understand?"

Kyoumon gawked at Keiko in stunned silence before he burst into tears, the liquid flowing from his eyes like a burst water main. "R-Rude Humanmons! You're _all_ Rude Humanmons!" He whipped about and took off as fast as his little wings could carry him, disappearing in to the woods where he had abruptly come from.

Wormmon drooped a at seeing Kyoumon retreat in tears, lowering his digits that had only a moment ago been ready to smack the other Digimon in the face. "Now I feel a little sorry for him."

"You should not," Leomon said with a shake of his head. "His actions made such words necessary. He needs to reflect on his behavior."

Ken stared after the fleeing Digimon before he turned to Keiko. "You… you didn't really mean that, did you? I mean, I don't think he means any harm..."

"You're kind, Ken." Keiko said, with a shake of her head. "Sometimes _too_ kind."

Ken paused at that before he furrowed his brow, frowning.

"Well, he _is_ Kindness," FlaWizarmon said as he tapped his chin. "Ain't nothin' wrong with that."

"It's easy to forget, especially with so little kindness in the world as it is," Witchmon agreed. "We need people like Ken-chan to remind us now and then~!"

Keiko's hard expression softened around the edges. "True enough."


	25. Chapter 25

In a massive domed room made of dark purple stone, with black lines running through out like veins. At the center of the room was an enormous metal telescope with a platform boasting a chair, where a large humanoid clown Digimon sat, a wicked grin on his face as he peered through it. It was Piemon, strongest of the Dark Masters. He chuckled to himself as he watched a sight unseen from a casual observer, clearly enjoying himself. "Those fools wear masks of fear as they wait eternally in vain for peace and order to return. It is a wonderful sight - truly wonderful."

"I don't agree to these pathetic methods!" came the booming voice of a monstrous serpentine Digimon with metal features as he burst out of the large pool of water on the floor. It was Metal Seadramon, ruler of the seas among the Dark Masters. "We should kill them all in one blast!" He then disappeared into the water below, sending up a spray of water.

"Their flow of time is different from ours," the childish voice of Pinocchimon, a wooden puppet Digimon, said as he hovered in the air, holding a massive metal hammer with cylinders in it not unlike the chamber of a gun. "We should use it to pick them off slowly, one by one." The puppet turned to look at Mugendramon, an enormous dragon cyborg Digimon seemingly made entirely out of metal without even a hint of organics. "Like him."

"The Chosen Children will be returning soon," Piemon said as he approached the others, abandoning his telescope. "Our time of boredom is over. Now!" He threw up his hands up dramatically, causing several bright spotlights to shine down on himself and the three other gathered Digimon. "Let us leave the dressing room! The stage curtains are rising!"

The other Digimon hovered around the clown, including the metal serpent as he rose out of the water. Each bathed in their own light as the clown Digimon continued to command the stage.

"The title is 'The End of the Chosen Children'!" the clown Digimon declared, triumphantly.

Suddenly, all the lights cut off, plunging the four Digimon in darkness.

"If you're _done_ being _imbeciles_ , I've got work for you."

The four Digimon jerked and whirled about to stare as the lights cut back on, focusing on two new figures as they entered the room. One was a humanoid Digimon in a thick red cloak with a matching hood, adorned with demonic looking horns and wings. It was none other than Demon, whose appearance fit his name to the very letter.

In front of Demon was the source of the voice, whose appearance was a far more conflicting than the others. It was a small furry Digimon, a mixture of a wolf and a dragon covered in purple fur with a white snout, underside, paws, and boots. On his brow was a red inverted triangle, and two wolf-like ears flicked about on the back of his head. His long tail whipped about behind him as he padded in front of the more demonic looking Digimon, the tiny black draconic wings on his back flapping with each step.

The furry dragon came to a stop in front of the four towering Digimon, who stared down at him in absolute silence. He flicked his ear as he focused his golden eyes on each in turn, before turning his attention to Piemon. "Though I can understand why that might be _difficult_ for you."

"Ah," Piemon began, as his confident smile returned. "My lord. What do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"I've got a job for you," the strange Digimon said. "I have another Dark Seed that needs _planting_."

"Oh hoh, is that so?" Piemon said, with a bright smile. "For your beloved, perhaps?"

The furred Draconian Digimon's eyes met Piemon's, a smirk on his face. "As always, you catch on rather quickly. Let us hope your arm is just as quick."

"Now, wait a minute!" Metal Seadramon protested. "We don't have time for your lovesick nonsense! The Chosen Children-"

The serpent was cut off by the small Digimon whirling to stare at him, his eyes blazing gold as the triangle on his brow suddenly took a similar hue.

" _What_ ," the furred dragon asked, slowly. "Did. You. Just. Say?"

Metal Seadramon flustered for a moment, squirming beneath the much smaller Digimon's gaze before he deflated, slumping to the ground.

"I believe what my comrade meant," Piemon cut in, slowly. "Was to express concern about the timing of this endeavor. The Chosen Children have finally decided to return to our world after pursuing Vamdemon."

"T-that's… that's right!" Metal Seadramon agreed as he glanced between Piemon and the glaring tiny Digimon. "Don't you care at all that they're finally making their way back to this world?"

The small Digimon paused at that, furrowing his brow. After several moments of thought, realization dawned on his face, quickly replaced with deadpan indifference. "Oh, _those_ Chosen Children." He gave a snort. "No, I can't say that I care one way or another."

"You only seem to care about _those three_!" Pinocchimon said, with a huff. "There's only three of _them_ , while we're about to face down _eight_!"

"Yes, _those three_. Two of which who are _god crests_ ," the dragon said, before a smirk returned to his face. "While you're dealing with seven _nobodies_ and an _invalid_. Of the eight, only two can even _evolve_ to Ultimate, with the rest prancing around as Perfects with superiority complexes. Are you _really_ suggesting that you lot, with all the power and the armies that I have given you, have _anything_ to worry about?" His eyes then narrowed dangerously. "If you're truly that _frightened_ , perhaps I should _replace_ you with someone who _isn't_."

"I'm not frightened!" Metal Seadramon protested. "I'll kill them all _myself_!"

"Well, then!" the small dragon said, cheerfully. "Then there's really nothing to talk about, is there~?" He whipped about, giving a snap of his tail as a note of finality to the conversation before he began to trot away.

Demon stared at the three Dark Masters before he began to follow after the smaller Digimon, with Piemon close behind him. Piemon glanced back at his comrades, with a smile on his face, before he disappeared into the darkness.

Metal Seadramon was silent for several moments until he was certain that the trio were gone, then let out a snort. "I'm so tired of that little bastard."

"Yeah!" Pinocchimon agreed. "We're the ones that kidnapped _him_ , and yet _he's_ calling the shots!?"

"He can't even evolve!" Metal Seadramon spat. "All that power, and what does he have to show for it? A runt body, that's what!"

"He's just jealous!" Pinocchimon agreed. "He's jealous that _we_ can evolve, and he can't! All he can do is make _other_ Digimon evolve!" He lifted his hammer and began to dance about. "Hah, hah, runt can't evolve! Hah, hah, runt is a _runt_!"

"He lives to serve _us_ , not the other way around!" Metal Seadramon said.

"It's fine," Mugendramon said, finally speaking for the first time. The sound of his voice startled the other two, causing them to gawk at him. "Piemon is biding his time. Once the eight Chosen Children are dead, we'll be in a better position to handle him."

Pinocchimon blinked before he smirked wickedly. "Yeah, right! Then we'll be on top again!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Metal Seadramon said before he reared up. "Let's kill those Chosen Children and show that little bastard who the _real_ Masters are!"


	26. Chapter 26

"Huh," FlaWizarmon said as he scratched at his head, staring downward from his cliffside vantage point. "Well, that's… certainly different."

The view before the Chosen Children and their entourage was that of a massive carnival, complete with brightly colored tents, food stands, a ferris wheel, and even a roller coaster. It was a sight that would've normally filled a child with absolute joy.

And yet, the assembled children felt nothing but apprehension.

"Is this really… an enemy stronghold?" Ken asked hesitantly. Even from the distance, he could faintly see Digimon scurrying about, enjoying the various facilities.

"Different strokes for different folks, dontcha know," FlaWizarmon said with a shrug. "Some Digimon want big palaces or fortresses, others want their own personal paradise." He reached up to tug on the brim of his hat. "Either way, they still intend to kill ya, if given the chance."

"What a disgusting display of debauchery," Mystimon said, with a grunt. "What sort of fool would be lead astray from the Holy Beasts by flashing lights and silly music?"

Witchmon gestured about the carnival before them. "Offhand, I'd say about at least a hundred, if not more, given the size of this crowd."

Ryo rubbed the back of his head as apprehension crawled beneath his skin. He had no words to explain why the carnival made him feel so uneasy - it didn't seem much different than amusement parks he had been to in the past - but there was something about it that left him on edge.

Keiko noticed Ryo's unease and cocked her head slightly. "Don't worry. Past appearances, this place isn't any different than any other Digimon stronghold or village."

Ryo failed not to flinch. "Yeah, right. I… I guess I just find it kind of creepy that an evil Digimon picked an _amusement_ park as a base. These places are supposed to be fun and not… you know."

Keiko shrugged, completely unfazed by the concept of a corrupted carnival. "They might have a theme going depending on what kind of Digimon they are, or they think it's a good way to trick Digimon into dropping their guard. Who knows? At least it's not a nursery or a school this time."

A bead of sweat trickled down the back of Ryo's neck. "I guess that's true."

"Welp, no point in standin' 'round here!" FlaWizarmon said as he adjusted his hat. "Shall we get goin'? This fight ain't gonna happen on its own!"

The gathered Chosen Children glanced at each other before giving a small nod, confirming their determination to proceed forward. Keiko led the way with Nyamon close on her heels while Ryo and Leomon took up the middle with the rest of the fighters. Ken walked in the back with Neemon and Bokomon, holding Wormmon closely to his chest.

Ken stared at Keiko and Ryo's backs as they strode far ahead of him, his feelings mixed. He couldn't shake the sense that he belonged up at the front with the other Chosen, but he knew that doing so would only endanger himself. Grimacing, he looked down at Wormmon, who kept a sharp eye out for danger.

"If I wasn't such a terrible Chosen, I wouldn't be holding Wormmon back…," Ken thought before he looked away with a sigh. "I wouldn't be holding _everyone_ back."

The Chosen arrived at the carnival grounds without much trouble. Outside of the occasional glance from the gathered Digimon as they enjoyed the various entertainment and games, no one made an effort to harass the group. Of course, the Chosen knew better than to expect such good fortune to continue as they made their way into the depths of the whimsical stronghold.

Something bad was going to happen; it was just a matter of _when_.

As Ken followed after the others, a flash of movement caught his attention among the colorful tents. He turned his head just enough to get a glimpse of the source. It was none other than Kyoumon.

The puppet Digimon's patchwork body blended in quite well with the carnival tents as he stalked after the group, doing his best to be sneaky - though, if Ken had been able to see him, his sneaking skills weren't much to speak of.

Ken frowned before he glanced at the others, noting that no one else seemed to have spotted their stalker. With that revelation, he made a point _not_ to look back in Kyoumon's direction, lest he give the puppet away.

Ken wasn't about to do anything and risk Keiko making good on her threat.

"Well, then," FlaWizarmon said as he placed his hands on his hips. "I reckon it's about time, dontcha think?" He turned to flash Witchmon a grin.

"I agree," Witchmon said, returning the smile. "It's about time."

"About time for what?" Ryo asked as he turned to stare at the duo.

"For our ambush, of course~!" FlaWizarmon said, brightly.

Ryo's eyebrows shot straight up. "What!? Ambush-?!"

" _Welcome_ to my Carnival, boys and girls~!" a voice boomed.

A new Digimon appeared, looking to be a strange humanoid clown. He wore green spandex pants, a white spandex chest with green trim underneath a purple jacket with green markings and a split down the back to make twintails, which in turn were tipped with small golden bells that tingled with each motion. Resting on his head was a split jester's cap, a golden crown with black twintails on top with a red stripe running up the left side with a yellow crescent moon charm on the tip while a blue along the opposite right to end with a blue star charm. Two black ribbons came out the back of the hat, fluttering about so that their tipped bells twinkled along with his jacket.

Tapping one of his long, curved black feet, the Digimon grinned with shark-like teeth before he pointed a white-gloved finger at the group. While his face looked human save for his long pointed ears, his face was painted white with black eyeliner leading to a black streak down either cheek and impossibly red lips.

"You're just in time for the main event~!" the clown Digimon said, cheerfully. "Your _deaths_." Several other Digimon stood around him, watching the group anxiously - including a plush-looking Panda with a long red scarf, a round gray opossum with red boots, gloves, and silly hat and a fistfull of sneering balloons that kept him airborne despite the logistics of it all, and a smaller more feminine looking jester with a purple jester's cap and split red and black shirt whose entire lower body was replaced by a black orb covered in golden glowing lines.

Keiko stared at the Digimon for a moment before she let out a frustrated huff of air and rolled her eyes. "Of course."

Nyamon's ears canted back as she stared at the Digimon, then turned to FlaWizarmon. "It's not really an ambush if it's expected, you know."

FlaWizarmon lifted a finger to his lips as he made a mock shushing sound.

"Jokermon! I should have known," Mystimon said as he drew his sword, aiming it at the tall leader of the assembled Digimon. "Only a _fool_ would ally himself with the enemy of the Holy Beasts!"

"Nice pun, dearie," Witchmon snickered.

Mystimon blinked at that before he cast Witchmon a sidelong stare.

"You forget," FlaWizarmon whispered, without actually attempting to keep his voice down. "He ain't got a funny bone in his whole funny body. Any puns are pure accident, plain an' simple."

Witchmon let out a theatrical sigh. "I suppose you're right."

"Amateurs should leave the comedy acts to the _professionals_ ," Jokermon said with a sweeping flourish of his right arm as he bowed, before he lifted his head to flash the Chosen Children a vicious grin. "Though I can't deny your talent born of your naturally comedic existence."

"Keep telling yourself that," Nyamon said as she stepped forward. "See if it stops me from sending you straight to the Dark World."

"So," Keiko drawled, "do you plan on monologuing what Millenniumon promised you, or do you just want to cut straight to your deletion?"

Jokermon's smirk widened before he suddenly lifted his hands, aiming them outward at the group. " _Hah_!"

Keiko stood nonplussed and glared defiantly at Jokermon, the air darkening around her as she kept her fists clenched at her sides, ready. Nyamon, however, instantly noticed the bright light below their feet. She barely managed to cry out Keiko's name in alarm before the light exploded into a circle of light that blinded the both of them.

"Keiko?!" Ryo gasped out, straining to see even as he shielded his eyes with his left arm. "Nyamon!"

"I-I can't see-!" Ken blurted out as he stepped back, the light forcing him to look away as his eyes stung with pain.

The light lasted only a moment before it was gone, and with it not only Nyamon and Keiko but Jokermon as well.

"Where… where did they go!?" Ken asked anxiously as he looked around, trying to spy any sign that might answer his question.

"Huh," FlaWizarmon said as he crossed his arms. "A teleporter spell." He glanced over to Witchmon, who nodded in agreement. "Don't see _those_ much these days."

Though Witchmon appeared calm, the back of her ghostly cat rankled up. "I hate copycats. We should teach that joker a lesson about using one of my best tricks against us."

Ryo was in no mood for levity as he whipped his head around in a panic, his eyes dazzled with colorful spots from the intense light. "Keiko! Nyamon! Where are you?!"

"We have to find her!" Leomon shouted as he clenched his fists. "How far could that spell have taken her?"

"Hold it, hold it, hold it!" the opossum Digimon chirped as he floated upwards, kicking his feet. "What's the hurry, yeah?"

"Don't forget _we're_ here~!" the female jester agreed, with a giggle and a flirty wink of her left eye.

"You should be more worried about _yourself_!" the panda Digimon said as he stepped forward to shake a paw at the group. "Without Darkness to protect you, you-"

Pandamon was cut off by a sudden flash of steel that narrowly missed dissecting him, when Mystimon lunged forward with a scowl. The panda Digimon yelped as he scrambled back from the knight, with the other Digimon scurrying away to avoid a similar fate.

"Hm, hm, hm~!" Witchmon hummed in mock thoughtfulness as she pressed her fingertips together, her broom allowing her to loom high above the minions of Jokermon. "Is that so~?"

"I gotta admit," FlaWizarmon drawled as he pulled the brim of his hat down. "It's pretty damn hilarious that you lot think the _only_ one you had to worry about was _Lady Keiko_." He then lifted his hat just enough to flash his shark-like grin at the gawking Digimon. "Looks like school's in, darlin'... and there's gonna be _learnin'_."

* * *

Mirrors. Mirrors and reflections and mirrors. That's all there was to this place, just a maze marked with countless silver surfaces that reflected only Keiko and Nyamon and little else.

Keiko never cared much for mirrors. She could grudgingly admit their usefulness as a tool. She had certainly utilized them enough in the past. However, so many in one place reminded her of that past where mirrors played a key role in reflecting only dreams and ambitions that were never her own.

"We're in the house of mirrors," Nyamon remarked with a deadpan expression.

Keiko let out a frustrated breath as she considered their options. "Why do so many Digimon have to make a game out of toying with captured prey before trying to delete them?"

Nyamon shrugged. "Sadism, boredom, or both. Your pick."

Keiko nodded grimly as she clenched her fists painfully tight. She was in no mood to be someone's toy. Not ever again. "Nyamon, just smash thro-"

" _Daughter_."

That voice. _That_ woman's voice. However many years it had been since she last heard it, Keiko could never erase the memory of it. Her body instinctively froze, muscles locking up so tight they quaked. She couldn't move; she could scarcely breathe.

Nyamon stared at Keiko in confusion before she quickly glanced about. Her eyes drifted across the mirrors and their distorted reflections - some showing the two of them as ridiculously tall or impossibly short, others squashed or pulled wide to unrealistic proportions. But among them was a large mirror that reflected an entirely different vision, not of Keiko and Nyamon but a woman that the Digimon had never seen before. It was a mature, pale Japanese woman expertly adorned in makeup and a kimono of rich colors and nature patterns. Her black hair was immaculately tied up in a bun pierced by kanzashi hairpins and although she smiled with her painted lips, her narrow dark, dark red eyes were those of a hunter assessing its captured prey.

Despite not knowing the woman, a sharp sense of hatred filled Nyamon's heart as the reflection glared down at them, as if they were insects. The hatred only grew as she heard Keiko let out the tiniest, quaking whisper she had ever heard from her partner.

"M-Mother…"

Nyamon's ears canted back as she stared at Keiko with wide eyes before she whirled to face the reflection, her lips curling up to bare her teeth. "What!?"

Still smiling, the woman in the mirror fixed her gaze entirely on Keiko. Although short in stature for an adult, she still managed to tower over the little girl and Digimon before her. When she spoke, her voice was melodious and demure, but there was an edge of frozen steel beneath the glimmering surface.

"Did you really think you could leave your mother?" _she_ asked. "It's time to come home now, Daughter."

Keiko shook her head in mute, horrified denial as she forced a rigid leg to take her a trembling step backward, but she couldn't dare turn her gaze away from _that_ woman. A raspy sound escaped her throat, a terrified squeak that came three times before she could finally eke out a single word. "N-no!"

"Keiko!" Nyamon said as she glanced back at her partner. "It's a trick! It's just a mirror!" Even as she said the words, she somehow couldn't fully tear her eyes away from the woman in the mirror. Something about her set all her instincts on edge, as if there was truly a foe about to pounce.

Keiko couldn't look away from the woman, but her partner's voice kept her grounded before she could retreat further. With desperately grasping hands, she reached for Nyamon, who snatched them up immediately in a firm, but reassuring grip that couldn't quite erase the shaking that ran through her body. She tried again to speak, to gather up the courage she gained from her years as an agent of darkness, but before _that_ woman, she felt utterly exposed and powerless.

The woman sneered, finally focusing on Nyamon. "What a miserable creature you've conjured up, Daughter. It looks just like that wretched _doll_." Her smile returned, a sharp slice that hinted at pearly white teeth as she returned her gaze to Keiko. "You still can't let them go, can you? Even knowing that they'll never want to see you again after you sent the police for them when you abandoned them as well?"

"That wasn't me!" Keiko shrieked, voice cracking shrill as wetness stung the edges of her eyes. "You were the one who called the police! I just… I…"

"Ran away," the woman said smoothly. "You betrayed them just as you betrayed me, Daughter." She extended an arm and her long, pale fingers slid through the surface of the mirror, reaching out for Keiko. "However, unlike them, I will forgive you so long as you return to me like an obedient child, my little doll. As you _always_ do in the end."

Nyamon grit her teeth as her hackles raised along her neck. "You're lucky you're just a reflection - an _illusion_. But illusion or not, you _will_ be _silent_!"

The woman ignored Nyamon as her hand fully emerged from the mirror, her long painted nails almost snatching the fabric of her daughter's dress.

Keiko shrieked at the near touch and released her partner as fear took over. She scrambled back as though burned by an open flame, but there was little space in the maze passages to retreat. Even as she slammed back against another mirror hard enough to create a spiderweb of cracks behind her, she scarcely noticed, as could only see her mother coming for her like in her most terrible nightmares.

That fearful scream set Nyamon off. With a howl of rage she lunged at the illusion of her mother's tormentor, slicing her claws downward to neatly severing the hand from its wrist.

While the amputation was bloodless, crimson splattered across the surface of the mirror, especially the woman's face, and she screamed, screamed like _that_ night that Keiko could not forget. It sent the Chosen of Darkness back to that night, full of blood and fear and desperation.

Nyamon about, planting her foot _through_ the bloody apparition's stomach, and by extension the mirror itself, shattering both to destroy the illusion once and for all. Razor sharp bits of mirror flew backwards as the mirror crumbled and dissolved into bits of data.

But the damage was done. Keiko sunk to her knees, eyes wide but unseeing, as the memory of _that_ night overtook her.

"Tsk," came a clucking sound, in Jokermon's voice no less. Nyamon looked about for the clown Digimon to no avail, fury naked on her face. "Destroying another's property… you _Chosen Digimon_ have no manners. Fortunately, I can fix that~!"

A new mirror appeared to replace the one Nyamon destroyed, though mercifully it reflected nothing but her and Keiko, as well as the cracks repairing in the mirror the Chosen of Darkness damaged.

"You!" The words came out like a snarl as Nyamon continued to whip about, searching for any sign of her opponent, her fur bristled from her neck all the way to her tail. "I'll _destroy_ you!"

"Temper, temper~!" Jokermon said as a reflection of him appeared in the place where that woman had been, hopping into the scene like a cartoon character. His expression, filled with glee, turned into a mockery of admonishment with pursed lips as he waggled finger at Nyamon. "You talk quite big, but you won't get very far in _that_ form... and your precious _partner_ is in _no_ condition to help you, now is she?"

"I don't need to evolve to tear you apart!" Nyamon hissed, her tail lashing, as she glared at the reflection of Jokermon. "Show yourself!"

"Very well~!" came the playful retort and a sudden motion caught Nyamon's attention just before Jokermon emerged from the newly repaired mirror behind the distraught Keiko, scythe raised to strike her. "As you wish~!"

Nyamon knew the attack was coming, but saw it too late. "Kei-!"

"Kaaaa _bong_!" Was the only warning Jokermon got before a guitar rudely impacted with his head. Jokermon flew back into a mirror as Kyoumon landed beside Keiko, holding his guitar threateningly. "Jokermon needs to back off from Keiko! Or _else_!"

"K… Kyoumon?" Nyamon murmured, stunned.

Jokermon got to his feet, his amusement swiftly replaced with murderous irritation. He glared at Kyoumon before he moved in swiftly, kicking the puppet Digimon's guitar away effortlessly before stomping his foot down on Kyoumon's stomach, pinning him to the floor.

Kyoumon let out a squeak before he gagged as Jokermon dug his heel into Kyoumon's stomach, the puppet Digimon's little paws grasping uselessly against the larger Digimon's silly shoes.

"If you want to die that badly," Jokermon drawled as he leaned down to loom over Kyoumon. "Then I-"

Darkness, pure and terrible pierced through Jokermon's midsection, blowing a hole through his body and everything behind him - including the wall. His fragments burst into a spray of data before the rest of his body too dissolved, along with the data of the damaged scenery around him.

Kyoumon froze, his expression blank. He didn't move from his position on the floor, staring at where Jokermon _had_ been before he turned his gaze to look at the source of the darkness - Keiko.

Keiko stood in shadow, the light barely able to show the outline of her trembling fist or reflect off the tears glistening on her cheeks. Behind her was the faint shadow of something bigger, someone with grand wings and an anger that rivaled her own.

"Damn. You. To. _Hell_." Keiko hissed through painfully gritted teeth.

Nyamon glanced to her partner, her ears drooping, before she moved over to place her paw on her partner's arm gently. "Keiko…"

Keiko flinched at the touch, but did her best to relax, as the darkness enshrouding her waned and the echo of Narakumon faded away from Kyoumon's view. A beat later, she pulled Nyamon to her and hugged her partner fiercely. It took her nearly a minute to eventually address Kyoumon, though she couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Thank you, Kyoumon," she said quietly, her voice thick with emotion and tears. "I'm sorry… for what I said before."

Kyoumon finally dared to get up from his position on the floor. He stared at Keiko for a moment before a happy blush appeared on his face, his tail wagging so that the bells jingled noisily behind him. "Hee hee hee..."

As light filtered in through the hole in the wall, so too did the sound of voices, including one immediately recognizable as Ken's. "Keiko!?"

Nyamon glanced over Keiko's shoulder to the hole just in time to see Ken cautiously peering in past the splintered wood, holding Wormmon closely.

"K-Keiko! Are you okay!?" Ken asked, anxiously. He paused when he saw the puppet Digimon, his eyes widening. "A-and Kyoumon, too!?"

"Kyoumon didn't do nothing!" Kyoumon said, quickly raising his paws up to ward off further scolding or punishment. "Promise, promise!"

"Well, that's one way to make an entrance - an' an exit," FlaWizarmon said as he approached Ken to peer inside, then immediately stopped when his eyes fell on the Chosen of Darkness. All levity disappeared from his face in an instant. "Lady Keiko?"

"Oh dear," Witchmon whispered as her ghostly cat let out a mournful howl.

Keiko shifted so that the others wouldn't see the tears flowing down her cheeks. Though she tried to wipe her tears away with the back of her sleeve, more came to replace them. "I'm fine."

Ryo saw through the lie instantly and moved closer to Keiko as his worry grew. "What's wrong?"

Ken furrowed his brow in concern and made to follow, only to hesitate after a step. He grimaced before he held Wormmon tight, stepping back. Given what happened the last time he tried to comfort Keiko, he imagined that he was the _last_ person she wanted anything from.

"Has something happened?" Panjamon asked as he came to stand beside Ryo, his brow furrowed.

"I just…" Keiko faltered, resenting the emotion that she couldn't quite hide from her ragged voice and tried again to stifle it. "…saw a ghost."

"A ghost?" Mystimon asked as he approached, sheathing his blade. "What-"

"Mind yer business," FlaWizarmon said, his sharp tone causing the knight to turn and stare at the scarecrow Digimon. FlaWizarmon ignored the stare as he gingerly stepped in through the hole so that he could approach the Chosen of Darkness, blocking her from the others' view. "We took care of business outside, so what say we call it a day from huntin' ol' Millie and head back to Crystal Tower?"

Keiko nodded, refusing to look back at the others as she buried her face against the back of Nyamon's head.

"Lady Keiko, how about I take you on ahead?" Witchmon said as she glided to Keiko's side and gave a playful wink despite how she couldn't see the Chosen of Darkness' face past a wall of black hair. "Let's let the boys finish up here with chastising the minions for being bad Digimon."

Keiko nodded again, not trusting her voice not to betray her once more. She could still feel tremors running through her body as the cracks in her armor threatened to break down completely.

A moment later, Witchmon's cloak encircled Keiko and Nyamon, teleporting them away from the group once more.

* * *

Narakumon and Tenraimon were already waiting in Narakumon's temple when Witchmon arrived with the girls. Both were in their smaller, more human forms, which allowed them to better interact with the human child than their true forms would have.

And interact, they most certainly did. As soon as Keiko appeared with the Digimon, Narakumon was on the move. He crossed the distance swiftly, not even looking at Witchmon before he reached down to snatch his Chosen Child into his arms. Tenraimon wasn't far behind, and she soon joined the embrace, even if it meant entangling her arms with that of her dark counterpart.

Now, back with her parents, her _true_ parents, Keiko finally allowed herself to break down and cry. "Papa! Mama!"

"We're here, Keiko," Tenraimon said gently as she stroked Keiko's hair. "We'll always be here for you."

"You're safe," Narakumon said, his voice gruff. "I won't let anything happen to you, ever again."

Keiko sniffled and buried her face in Narakumon's chest as she let out her overflowing emotions in a wail filled with fear and regret.

Witchmon tipped her hat to the family and silently disappeared, leaving the DigiGods to comfort their adopted daughter in peace.

* * *

 _Keiko dressed in blood the day she arrived in the Digital World. Although the angel avatar of Light had healed her wounds, the red stains on her once pure white nightgown remained._

 _She was not surprised when the angels took her to the underworld to be judged by the god of death. Even when kneeling before a massive dark god that towered over her tall as a building she did little more than hug the living plush cat in her arms that cooed soothingly to her with comforting words that failed to reach her ears._

 _Keiko knew she was dead. Now it was time to be judged for her sins._

" _So," the grand god Narakumon said, his voice rumbling like thunder. "_ _ **You**_ _are 'my' Chosen Child… the Chosen of Darkness."_

 _Keiko said nothing. She didn't understand what the god was telling her. Even the gentle platitudes of Plushmon barely registered. Guilt was a molten ball of lead in her gut, crushing her fear under the overwhelming weight of her sins._

 _When the child remained silent, didn't even bother to look at him, Narakumon grew irritated and impatient. "_ _ **Well?**_ _" His voice boomed throughout his temple. "Do you have_ _ **nothing**_ _to say to me?"_

" _I'm evil, aren't I?"_

 _Keiko's voice was tiny, insignificant compared to Narakumon's - a drop of rain when compared to the crack of a thunderbolt. Even still, Narakumon heard it clearly._

 _And was_ _ **enraged**_ _._

" _ **Evil**_ _?" Narakumon repeated, a sharp edge to his tone. "_ _ **That**_ _is what you say to me!? You think me_ _ **evil**_ _? Because I am Darkness, I suppose? Is that how you think of me!?"_

 _The words, though overwhelming in their enormity and ferocity, failed to reach Keiko. Though her eyes were on Narakumon, she couldn't truly see him. Even in the Digital World, she had not escaped the hotel room._

" _I killed… Mother."_

 _Narakumon faltered, the wind taken out of his tantrum. He had been prepared for an argument on the nature of darkness and evil, one that he had many times before, but the child's words immediately disrupted the pattern and left him off balance. "...What?"_

" _Mother," Keiko repeated. "I killed Mother." Despite the weakness of a voice so brittle it bordered on breaking, she couldn't stop speaking after she began her terrible confession. "I stabbed her. I wanted to stab her. I kept stabbing her. I couldn't stop. Now she's dead. I wanted to kill Mother. I killed her. I'm evil."_

 _Narakumon was silent for several moments as he stared down at the Chosen of Darkness, his expression blank. After a moment, he glanced towards Zennyu, who gave a small shake of his his head before clicking his pen. The DigiGod frowned before he turned his attention to Keiko. Another moment passed before he moved to kneel down in front of Keiko to get a little bit closer to such a tiny child, ignoring the way Plushmon growled warningly at him._

 _Keiko's watery red eyes focused on Narakumon as the giant moved in closer to her. "I'm going to suffer in Hell for eternity now, aren't I? It's what I deserve."_

 _The terrible silence between them lingered for only a moment._

" _No," Narakumon said, his voice much softer than it had been before. "You will not."_

 _A flicker of confusion pierced through the guilt and Keiko furrowed her brow. "How do you know?"_

" _Because I am the DigiGod of Death," Narakumon replied._

" _Digi...God?" Keiko repeated slowly._

" _Yes," Narakumon said. "And my word is law."_

 _Keiko was silent as she looked at Narakumon, truly looked at him for the first time. "I… I called the oni to take me away… because I really am an evil girl. I don't deserve to be happy. Mother told me that, and I showed her she was right, and… I… I…" She trailed off with a sob, tears falling free. "Why don't you hate me too?!"_

" _Because you are_ _ **not**_ _evil," Narakumon said. "There are many in this world who don't understand what true evil is, and they use it to harm those who don't deserve it. Like you. Like… me."_

 _Keiko sniffled, blinking her watery eyes hard so that she could see Narakumon through her tears. "But… you're not evil. You… even though I killed Mother, you're not sending me to Hell. I don't deser-"_

" _Enough," Narakumon said with a wave of his hand, taking care not to raise his voice this time. He hesitated before lightly touching the very tip of his index finger atop Keiko's head, delicately stroking most of the tiny girl's scalp. "I'll hear no more talk of being evil. You're not evil. You're_ _ **my**_ _Chosen Child, and that means_ _ **you**_ _were chosen to keep our world and everyone who lives in it safe. That is_ _ **not**_ _evil."_

 _Keiko stared at Narakumon with wide, disbelieving eyes. Finally, she could truly hear Plushmon purring reassurances in her ear, and she pulled her partner close as she leaned into the DigiGod's warm touch._


	27. Chapter 27

Ken made his way up the small grassy hill, his steps swift as he carried Wormmon with him. Although it was night, the full moon granted plenty of light to guide him to the top of the hill. Once he reached his destination, he stopped to admire the dazzling view of the night sky, an infinite field of black painted with countless glittering the forest keeping its distance around the base of the hill, he and his partner were granted a completely unfettered view of the cosmos.

It was enough to take Ken's breath away.

"It's so beautiful. I never got to see stars like this back home," Ken murmured. "Are each of those stars a different Digital World?"

"That'd be amazing!" Wormmon chirped, eyes wide and shimmering with starlight. "There's so many of them!"

"It'd also be exhausting," Nyamon said as she approached the two from behind. "Narakumon has enough trouble with just this world." She flashed the pair a grin. "It's an illusion, made to resemble the night sky in your world. Behind it, you'll find nothing but lines and lines of Digital Code."

"Oh," Ken said, sounding a bit disappointed before he perked up a moment later. "Well, it's still very pretty, and it _feels_ real!"

"Right," Nyamon said, giggling. She paused before casting a knowing glance down the hill at her partner, where Keiko fidgeted about before tentatively moving to join them. "And that's what counts."

Keiko didn't meet her partner's pointed gaze, but moved up the hill anyway to join the group. As she drew closer, Nyamon smiled up at her before using her tail to nudge the Chosen of Darkness closer to Ken.

Ken glanced over to Keiko before he smiled, then looked back up at the stars. "Thank you for inviting us... I'm really glad you wanted to show us this!"

Keiko gave an awkward nod before she began to fidget. She glanced up at the sky, watching through her peripheral vision as Ken sat down on the soft grass and set Wormmon down beside him. She hesitated to sit as well, instead turning her gaze to her hands before rubbing them anxiously together,as if warming them.

After several long moments, the Chosen of Darkness glanced over to Ken as he stared enraptured at the night sky. Keiko hesitated before she braced herself. "Ken?"

"Yes?" Ken asked as he turned to look at Keiko, then stopped as he noticed the conflicted expression on her face. A moment later, he realized she dropped her typical nickname for him, which only magnified his worry. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry," Keiko said quietly, too ashamed to look directly at Ken.

Ken blinked. "For what?"

Keiko forced herself to stop being a coward and looked Ken in the eye. "For going off on you earlier," said, a little stronger than before. "The life I had before coming to the Digital World was… bad. It's taken me years here with Narakumon and Tenraimon and everyone else to get over it." She paused for a moment, her expression turning sour. "Or at least, I _should_ be over it by now. I shouldn't be still sensitive to it like that."

Ken stared at Keiko for a long moment as the cool night wind delicately brushed against his cheek and made Keiko's long black hair dance. "I-I'm sorry, I… I didn't realize… I shouldn't have mentioned your parents at all."

Keiko sighed, trying to hide her frustration. Making Ken feel bad again was _not_ what she wanted. "Don't… Don't apologize. Your parents are crap for neglecting you and treating you like Osamu's leftovers, but they didn't abuse you. You probably thought that my parents were, at worst, as bad as yours."

One word was all it took to set off alarms in Ken's head. "A-abuse!?" he repeated, voice practically shrill. "They abused you!?" The guilt intensified, as he realized his actions went beyond merely reminding her of unpleasantness and to outright reminding her of abuse. The sheer depths of his unintended insensitivity made his stomach churn.

With a nod, Keiko took a deep breath to steel her nerves. "That woman…" She stopped, her muscles tensing up as she forced herself to spit out a word covered in barbs. "My 'mother' was a demon." A wretched acidic taste coated her tongue, but she forced herself not to falter. "She gave birth to me, so she felt that I owed her _everything_."

Nyamon silently moved to her partner's side, reaching up to take Keiko's hand in hers with surprising tenderness despite the hard metal gauntlet that she wore.

Ken stared at Keiko before thought to his own parents, then grimaced. In a way, he saw shades of his own parents in that statement, though he didn't dare make the connection between that entitlement and 'abuse' - especially when he had been raised to believe it was normal to think that way.

"My birth father… I have no idea what he was like," Keiko said with no real emotion. When it came to the man she never met and only saw once, there was just an empty pit inside her, something she skirted around and refused to think about in detail to avoid further pain from loss. Ultimately, such a tactic left her feeling a dull sense of apathy and numbness. "That woman murdered him when he tried to take me away from her."

Ken was stunned speechless, openly gaping at Keiko in pure horror.

Keiko tried to smile to ease the tension, but all that she could manage was a sickly crook at the corner of her mouth. "She lied to me that I even had a father. Or older siblings who lived with him in Tokyo. As far as I knew, there was just me, my 'mother' and her relatives. I lived out in a very small village in the rural countryside, one where anyone who comes from the outside are outsiders and everyone keeps secrets. The family I was born in, the Makuras, basically owned the entire town, and if they wanted to make someone disappear… like someone who cared enough to try to save me…"

The increasingly terrified expression on Ken's face was enough to veer Keiko away from finishing that thought.

"I'll spare you the nightmares of the details," she murmured. "Basically… everything in my life was dictated by that woman, and if I disobeyed, she would…" She paused again, fumbling for words that would give a hint at the weight of her experience without traumatizing Ken. "There were… things in the basement. Nasty tools and rooms for… for _punishment_. They're things that aren't supposed to be in anyone's house. Things that made people never want to fight back again, or to make them disappear…" She paused to let out a shuddering breath. "I still have nightmares of… nights I spent down there."

Ken trembled slightly before he stood back up and moved closer to Keiko. Even as her words baffled and terrified him, the sight of her pain was enough to break through his stupor and cause him to want to comfort her, though he hesitated to offer a hug in case she didn't want to be touched. "It's… it's okay now, though. You're not there anymore, you're… you're here. You're in the Digital World, with me and everyone else. S-so..." He trailed off, realizing how weak his words sounded, but he was at a loss for what else he could say. "I'm sorry…"

Keiko focused on Ken before she wrapped an arm around him and pulled her friend close. "Yeah. I'm safe here. I've been safe here for years. That's why there's no excuse for me getting so angry with you like I did. Just the idea of you feeling sorry for a woman like that…" She tried to keep the venom from her voice, but her mouth twisted with taste. "She always, _always_ made everyone feel sorry for her… including me. Even after spending a night in the basement. Because it was my fault I had to be dragged down there. Because everyone agrees she deserves the sympathy because it's so _hard_ to raise me. Because she was my _mother_ and she _loved_ me."

Just saying the words made Keiko feel like throwing up, but she held back the urge, realizing she was straying from the reason they were having this conversation. "I'm sorry." She slid both arms around Ken this time and hugged him close. "You had no idea, so don't blame yourself. Who expects to hear that their friend grew up with a literal murdering psychopath? That's only supposed to exist in dramas, not real life."

Ken's eyes began to water as he hugged Keiko tightly. He was still at a loss for what to say, but he could at least express himself physically. "Keiko…"

"I'm sorry," Keiko muttered as she gave Ken's shoulder a gentle squeeze before rubbing his back in small circles. "Being friends with you is one of the best things to ever happen to me. I care about you. It wasn't right for me to hurt you just because you were worried about me and anyone related to me. Of course you care - you're _Ken-chan_! You're the kindest, most compassionate person I know."

Ken couldn't respond with more than a sniffle as he squeezed Keiko tight, his small body quaking with emotion.

A soft sigh escaped Keiko at the sound of Ken's tears, and she berated herself for making him feel bad. Again. Faking a smile, she tried to lighten the atmosphere with a perky attitude that wasn't as convincing as she would've liked. "Hey, don't worry about what happened to me back then. I'll protect you and everyone else who's good like you in the Digital World. I'm the Chosen of Darkness - I'm no one's doll anymore-"

"Which is a crime that simply _must_ be fixed," came a voice that neither of the children recognized. "You would, after all, make such a _lovely_ doll."

The oily voice was all the warning either Keiko or Ken had to turn and see the white handkerchief that flew at them and exploded in size until it became more like a large blanket. Neither child could react in time, but, fortunately for them, the voice already set Nyamon on high alert, and the sudden movement set her off instantly. She lunged upwards and lashed out, her claws blazing blue flames that immediately incinerated and shredded the cloth before it could touch the human children.

Nyamon landed in front of her Chosen and Ken as bits of burning fabric fluttered down like snow, her expression fierce. "Show yourself!"

"How… unfortunate," the voice said, slithering from somewhere in the darkness. "That would've been a rather _ironic_ ending to this little performance, wouldn't it?"

Anger pounded through Keiko's veins instead of blood as she whirled about to find their unseen opponent, not just because of the attack but also the sense of violation that the Digimon had overheard something so private, so personal. She had spent too much time working herself up to a place where she could tell the story to one of her dearest friends. How _dare_ this bastard slip in to hear something not meant for them. She placed herself between Ken and the source of the voice, who stepped back instinctively with wide eyes and scanned the sky as well.

"Show yourself," she snarled, "so I'll know who I'm going to _kill_."

"But then," the voice continued as if Keiko hadn't spoken before Piemon suddenly appeared above the Chosen Children, sneering down at them. "Every veteran performer knows that not every act ends as it should. That is when the _true test_ of an actor's abilities begins."

Nyamon glared up at Piemon, crouched in a battle-ready position. "Another of Millenniumon's goons, I assume."

Piemon smiled down at Nyamon, though his eyes were anything but friendly. "I am Piemon, of the Dark Masters - _and_ your _executioner_."

Keiko pulled out her Digivice from her pocket. "I'm not in the mood for this. Nyamon, take care of him."

Nyamon nodded before she was engulfed with the light of evolution. She barely had time to transform into Nyxmon before Piemon drew his swords and flung them at her with deadly accuracy. She brought up her scythe to defect them, a loud clang issuing through the night with each strike.

Keiko wrapped her arm around Ken and held him against her as she took a defensive stance. "Stay close to me."

"O-okay," Ken said as he stared up at Piemon, with no small amount of fear.

"Don't worry, Ken-chan!" Wormmon said as he took a defensive stance at Ken's feet. Even though he knew that he was hopelessly outmatched against Piemon, that wasn't about to stop him from defending his partner. "I won't let him near you!"

Nyxmon lunged at Piemon, fanning her wings to take flight as she erased the distance between them. Piemon showed no sign of fear of the aggressive angel Digimon, meeting her charge head-on as he drew more swords and lunged to greet her.

Nyxmon grunted as her scythe met the Digimon's swords, being halted from puncturing his digital flesh. In response, she drew her foot up and slammed it into Piemon's groin, sending the harlequin Digimon flying backwards before he righted himself.

"H-hitting below the belt, are we?" Piemon asked as he wobbled slightly, but recovered quickly enough to block Nyxmon's next attack as she lunged for him once again. "That's _foul play_ , my dear!"

"It's a _fight_ , not a _sport_!" Nyxmon retorted. "I won't hold back and neither will you!"

Piemon smirked before he redirected Nyxmon's attack with his swords to slip away from her powerful attack. Once free, he lunged forward, forcing her back and forcing her to bring up the scythe in defense, blocking his swords with the handle this time.

"Keiko! Ken!" Ryo's voice called out as he rushed out of the woods and up the hill. The fighting could be heard from a considerable distance away, disturbing the tranquil silence of the night. It was more than loud enough to even reach the camp and send everyone running. "Are you okay!?"

"Lady Keiko, Ken-chan!" FlaWizarmon called as well, racing stride for stride alongside Ryo and Leomon, as Witchmon rode her broom. Only Neemon and Bokomon were absent, as the two non-combatants knew far better than to rush into probable battle - or at least, Bokomon did, and made sure Neemon stayed out of the way.

"Interrupting such an important moment!" Witchmon said with a cluck of her tongue. "No manners at all."

"You bastard!" Leomon snarled out as he raced ahead of the Chosen of Miracles, his eyes focused on Piemon. "Ryo!"

"Right!" Ryo shouted as he whipped out his Digivice.

Piemon glanced down just in time to see Leomon evolve to Panjamon, then grimaced. His eyes darted to Keiko and Ken, then back down to Ryo as the brown haired boy reached his friends. "It seems the curtains are falling on this act much faster than anticipated…"

"Allow me to cut them down that much faster!" Nyxmon said as she lunged at Piemon again.

Piemon swerved out of the way, twirling around Nyxmon as she struggled to stop her charge and whip about to follow him. He didn't give her much chance for that, planting his foot on her chest and using her as a springboard to send himself flying away.

"Stay behind me," Keiko said as she nudged Ryo with a little more force than necessary to stand by Ken.

"Right," Ryo said as he placed his hands on Ken's shoulders from behind. With the three of them, they created a makeshift barrier around the youngest and most vulnerable of them.

With so much attention on his safety, Ken cast his gaze from Keiko to Ryo and couldn't help but cringe at the reminder that he was the weakest Chosen Child of them all.

Blade and claw clashed as Panjamon barely repelled Piemon's attack, skidding back several feet and leaving deep grooves in the earth. The difference in power between them was too great, and it was only through the grace of Nyxmon's attack that he was spared from the swords drawing blood.

Piemon narrowly dodged Nyxmon's latest attack even with his incredible speed, flipping upwards and back to kick the fallen angel in the back of the head to force her and her deadly scythe towards Panjamon. Nyxmon barely managed to stop in time before her blade reached her friend, but the distraction cost her.

In the precious seconds Piemon gained, he charged the children. He smirked as his eyes dancing with glee as he met the hateful gaze of Keiko as a deadly aura of darkness overtook her. However, though the child was powerful, he was far more agile and flipped above and behind the small group of children and his _true_ target. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a small black barbed sphere before he threw it at Ryo with expert precision and speed.

"Ryo!"

Everything happened at once. Ryo barely had time to turn his head, only for Ken's cry to bring his gaze back to the front as two small hands shoved him with unexpected force, sending him to the ground. Keiko rounded about, but didn't see the attack in time, only Ken placing his hands on her chest for a push that never came. From the ground, Ryo had a perfect view of the barbed sphere as it slammed into the back of Ken's neck, while Keiko witnessed Ken's eyes widen in shock and pain. Both could only helplessly watch the blood splatter as they screamed Ken's name.

Keiko grabbed Ken, babbling his name and hysterical denials as she snatched him up in her arms as he fell limp and unresponsive. "No no no nonono _no! Ken!_ "

"Ken!" Ryo shouted, nearly in hysterics as he sat up while Keiko sunk to her knees. "Oh my God, Ken!"

"Ken-chan!" Wormmon wailed, tears in his eyes as he pawed futilly at Ken's leg.

FlaWizarmon raced over as Keiko cradled Ken in her lap, ripping off part of his clothes to try and stop the bleeding. "D-damn it… Ken-chan, hold on!"

"Shit," Witchmon hissed as she cast a glowing blue summoning spell circle before her. It was far more difficult than her teleportation spell, especially due to lack of practice, but she managed conjure a first-aid kit from thin air.

"Ken!" Nyxmon cried out, before her horror quickly turned to rage as she lunged after Piemon like a rabid beast. " _I'll kill you_!"

"You intended to do that anyway, my dear!" Piemon said, with a snide smirk. He jumped backwards to avoid the slashing scythe, glancing down at the human children. While he remained smiling, inwardly he grimaced. He could already _feel_ the master's fury at him for hitting the wrong target. However, he had no way of making a second attempt - not with the element of surprise gone and Nyxmon in hot pursuit - and thus, no reason to linger. With that, he quickly flew skyward, putting distance between himself and the scene.

"You're running away!?" Panjamon demanded from his helpless position on the ground, clenching his fists. "You attack a helpless child and then flee!?"

"I won't let you!" Nyxmon snarled, practically quaking with anger as she streaked across the sky like an angel of death.

Piemon simply flashed a grin over his shoulder as he took off into the night, slowly, but steadily, widening the distance between him and Nyxmon due to his maddening speed.

"I'll get the bastard!" Witchmon snarled, about ready to take off on her broom.

"Witchmon!" FlaWizarmon barked, his voice cutting Witchmon off and causing her to stare at her comrade. Beside him, the first-aid kit box lay open, with spools of bandages unwound and stained with red. "I can't stop the bleeding! We've got to take him to Crystal Tower!"

Witchmon felt her heart jolt before she rushed over to the group of children, allowing Nyxmon to do the chase as she focused on the higher priority. "I'm on it, dearie!"

"Ken! _Ken_!" Keiko cried out as she cradled the small boy against her, her eyes going moist as she watched the color drain from his face. "Ken, say something! Anything! _Answer me_!" She continued to plead, to beg the injured boy to respond in some way, even as Witchmon's cloak engulfed them all.


	28. Chapter 28

The furred draconian Digimon sat in his golden throne, his tail dangling over the edge of the seat as it twitched about idly. It was a rather comical sight, with something so small and fuzzy sitting on such a majestic chair, but no one dared mention it - least of all Demon as he stood beside his master.

The two Digimon watched a large glowing orb as it hovered in front of the two, a scene of far away. The image of Piemon facing down a newly evolved Holy Angemon, the armored angel's divine form standing before the Dark Master.

"He will lose," Demon said as he turned to the Digimon beside him.

"That is something _failures_ tend to do," the smaller Digimon said, his voice cold as ice.

Demon gave a small nod before he turned his attention back to the orb. "If the children are not dealt with, they may join up with the others and make things… more complicated."

The draconian Digimon gave a small snort. "Then I suppose I have no choice but to deal with them."

"You could use your godly power to kill them easily, and without having to battle them," Demon pointed out. "While time has no meaning for Digimon, the humans appear to be highly susceptible to it. You could speed up time until the humans withered away in to dust - or even reverse it until they turned in to mere embryos. It would solve not only those eight, but the other three as well."

The smaller Digimon paused at that before his expression darkened, his tail giving a mighty _smack_ against the throne.

Demon turned his attention to the orb, watching as Piemon was sucked into Holy Angemon's gate attack, ending his reign of terror. "It is simply an option, my lord."

"No," the furred dragon said, with the finality of a hammer smashing the very suggestion itself into dust. "It is not."

"As you say, Lord Zeed." Demon said, simply.

The small Digimon - self-named Zeed - was silent for several moments before he suddenly rose, standing up in the throne before hopping down on to the floor. He padded across the ground, his footsteps light and squeaking against the marble. Only after he put a considerable distance between himself and his throne - and Demon, beside it - did he finally come to a stop.

Zeed glanced upwards before his eyes narrowed, and the red triangle upon his brow began to glow gold. The air itself seemed to tear, golden tears ripping the very fabric of reality to reveal a blackness beyond.

All at once, black liquid began pouring free through the tears, like a dam that had burst. The water pooled around the small draconian Digimon, even defying gravity itself to avoid touching him. Within that water were shapeless masses, slimy blobs that splattered sickeningly against the floor.

Just as soon as the golden tears had appeared, they were suddenly gone. Black flames attacked the gold viciously before both disappeared from view. However, the damage had already been done, and the water and writhing blobs remained behind, sprawled around Zeed.

Zeed regarded the masses with open disdain, while Demon kept his distance with an air of discomfort. Demon watched as his master began to prowl around the squirming blobs before finally leaning in close to one, causing it to jerk back with a gurgled sound.

"Who _are_ you?" Zeed asked. "Do you even _remember_?" He didn't wait for a response, turning to approach another mass, stooping low. "Partially dissolved, trapped in a state between life and death. Unable to die and be reborn, unable to reform and continue with your old life." His lips curled up in a sneer, showing off his razor-sharp fangs. "How _pathetic_."

The blobs gurgled as their writhing and squirming intensified, thrashing about on the floor like fish out of the water. While Demon watched on uneasily, the dragon Digimon continued to walk around the suffering creatures without concern.

"Useless, pathetic, _discarded_ ," Zeed continued before he turned his head, flicking an ear as he gave a sly grin to one of the dissolved creatures. "How does that make you feel? To know that while you're suffering in the darkness, others are frolliciking in the sun? While you're alone and forgotten, they're thriving and loved?"

A strangled wail rose up from the creatures. Unable to communicate in words, the sound was enough to express the suffering they endured.

"It's not _fair_ , is it?" Zeed asked as he circled slowly around the creatures, like a predator on the prowl. He then stopped and gave a lash of his tail. "But this world _isn't_ fair. Only the strong survive, only the strong are _allowed_ to survive. And how do you get strong?" He snaked his head about, his eyes glowing gold as he stared down at his 'audience'. "By _evolving_."

A murmured agreement came from the twisted forms from mouths that emerged for a time only to melt away into silence. Every eye that came into being on the ever changing mass fixed unwaveringly on Zeed.

"You're weak, because you couldn't evolve," Zeed said, lightly. "And the Chosen Children… they _can_. They evolve their partners with great abandon, never caring - ever _having_ to care. That's why they're Chosen, and you're not. Their partners will _never_ know the suffering of not being strong enough, not being able to evolve."

Another wail came from the creatures, filled with outrage and anger. Grotesque limbs reached out, vaguely arm-like in appearance, even with the ooze-like features of their partially dissolved forms. They reached skyward, as if trying to claw at it in an expression of their hatred.

Demon drew back, closer to the throne, but Zeed stood right among the howling creatures, a smile playing on his face. The small draconian Digimon waited for the creatures to exhaust themselves in their screams, before he finally spoke again.

"Would you _like_ to be able to evolve?" Zeed asked. His smile widened, wicked in its appearance. "I can help you."

The creatures went completely still. Even though they lacked a way to communicate beyond base sounds, it was clear by their rigid postures that they were listening - they were hanging on Zeed's every word.

"I can help you teach those Chosen Children a lesson," Zeed said, slowly. "You could evolve together, join your pathetic weakness to _become_ strong… and show those Chosen Children what it means to _suffer_."

One of the wiggling masses reached out to grasp at Zeed, only to jerk back once it drew close, as if it didn't dare actually make contact. He quirked an eyebrow at the brazen display of the wavering, wobbling hand before his smile returned. He took a deep breath before before he exhaled lightly on the hand, as if blowing out a candle. As he did, the creature began to glow gold - as did the others connected to it by the waters of the Dark Ocean.

Before Demon's and Zeed's very eyes, the creatures began to coalesce, fusing together like wet clay. Within moments, all the individual masses were gone, replaced by a single, massive blob of thrashing body parts as the golden glow continued.

The mass began to take shape, forming a massive black dodecahedron, covered with golden hexagonal 'points' until it looked more like a wrecking ball - with long black chains attached to clawed 'hands' on each top. At the top of the dodecahedron was a gray-skinned humanoid figure, covered in head to toe in black with a long high-collar black cape with a red underside. His golden eyes blazed with fury as he arched his back, letting out a beastial scream of anguish and suffering as he clenched his red-nailed hands skyward.

"Now," Zeed said, a lazy smile on his face. "Tell me - who are you?"

"We are Apocalymon!" the new entity declared, baring his rows of razor sharp teeth down at the nonplussed dragon Digimon. "We are the forgotten, the discarded, the misplaced! We are the evolutions that failed, that disappeared from a world that cared not for our passing! We are the dead, given life once again!"

"And what will you do?" Zeed asked.

"We will take control of the world that discarded us, and remake it into a paradise that won't turn its back on us ever again! And we will _destroy_ anyone who dares get in our way!" Apocalymon snarled. He then reared up again, clenching his fingers as if he were ripping the flesh of his enemies. "Starting with the Chosen Children!"

Zeed quirked an eyebrow before he smoothed his expression over, his smile still easy. "Then go, before you miss your chance."

"We do not need you to tell us that!" Apocalymon snapped. Just the same, he turned about, creating a tear in reality and slipping into a glistening world of darkness, full of stars like a night sky before closing said tear behind him.

Zeed watched the portal close and basked in his work. How simple it had been to convince such wretched creatures into believing such an outlandish lie. He simply couldn't help but laugh, throwing his head back to let out a cackle that echoed off the walls.

Demon remained silent as he watched his master, unwilling to comment as Zeed reveled in victory.

Eventually, Zeed's maniacal laughter calmed to simple giggles that he failed to stifle even after he covered his mouth with his tiny paws. "That idiot… as if something so useless could ever rule my world! The sheer ridiculousness of it all!"

Demon focused on the empty air where Apocalymon had been for only a moment before he returned his attention to his giddy master. "Is this wise, my lord? They cannot be controlled."

"I don't have to," Zeed replied, his smile wide even as he calmed his mirth to only the occasional chuckle. "They'll be killed, one way or another - you saw just as well as I that Darkness will not allow _things_ such as them to exist in this world. The only difference is what they manage to achieve in the brief time I've given them."

Demon blinked at that before he turned his attention to the orb, which showed the eight Chosen Children and their Digimon gathering together after Piemon's defeat. Their brief, but horrifying time of being turned into tiny dolls only strengthened their bonds and gave the youngest of them a boost of confidence and power.

"They'll have either killed the Chosen Children before being torn apart by the Darkness or be destroyed by the Chosen Children themselves," Zeed continued. "And these Chosen Children leave, thinking they've defeated their great evil and they can go back to their boring little lives. Either way, I'm free of them."

Demon hesitated a moment as he watched the children who overcame supposedly impossible obstacles in the past. The temptation to voice such concerns were there, but he knew better. "As you say," he finally said. "Though what will make them believe he is not just another minion to be dealt with?"

Zeed's grin grew vicious as his tail lashed. "Oh, it's quite simple~!" His eyes began to glow gold, his ears canting back.

In a distant land, far from reach, Gennai gave a mighty shudder before he lurched forward. Grasping at his back, he panted heavily for several moments before he suddenly righted himself, with the stiff movements of a marionette. His typically closed eyes opened slightly, just enough to reveal gold.

"Piemon isn't the _only_ one that can be…," 'Gennai' said slowly as he evened out the movements of his puppet to a more natural gait like smoothing out the wrinkles of an old coat. While his voice was his own, it was tainted by malicious amusement. " _Theatrical_."


	29. Chapter 29

Ryo sat quietly beside the bed, wilting from exhaustion as he watched Ken sleep. For the past several days, he and Keiko spent more time in Ken's bedroom at the Crystal Tower than their own bedrooms. They switched out around the clock, ensuring that no one would leave Ken alone. Although Ken already had Wormmon by his side, it was a challenge to get the worried Digimon to take care of his own needs.

The worst of the wait was the fever. For several days, Ken quietly moaned and twitched, soaked with sweat. It was only earlier that day that the fever finally broke. Besides Wormmon, Higashi was the one who rarely left Ken's side. Even now, the angel fussed at the sheets and switched out the cool compress on Ken's forehead. It wasn't necessary now, but it was 'just in case,' as Higashi put it.

The stress was especially apparent on the Digimon. Wormmon could only fret, curled up in an empty space on the bed to not get in the way of Ken's healing. He barely ate, slept, or said more than a whisper of Ken's name and ask Higashi how his partner was faring. Higashi tried to be confident, smiling around soothing words, but Ryo noticed the way his wings kept twitching, how his fingers couldn't keep remain idle. The longer Ken's fever lingered, the more the fidgeting increased, and only when it broke did Higashi seem to relax just a little.

Ryo barely saw Keiko and Nyamon, except when they came to switch places with him. It was as though they existed on opposite ends of the days, with him taking the sunlight hours, and them taking the nights.

Nyamon remained stoic every time he saw her, most often climbing on the bed to sit beside Wormmon. She would lay a comforting paw on his back, but say nothing as they both watched Ken's fitful slumber.

It was Keiko's behavior that troubled Ryo the most. Her normally stony exterior cracked when Ken fell into her arms, bleeding. Zennyu had to pry her away from Ken with more violence than Ryo thought necessary to allow Higashi a chance to take Ken to bed. Since then, shadows lingered under Keiko's eyes, which were red due to more than her irises. More than once he walked in on her sitting by Ken's side, hand in her arms, and whispering apologies under her breath.

Although Ryo tried his best to reassure Keiko, she still blamed herself for what happened to Ken. What was more frustrating, was that she kept trying to do the same for him, when it was obvious that _he_ was the one responsible. If Ken hadn't stopped to save him when he was being reckless enough to turn his back on an enemy, then his oldest friend wouldn't…

Ryo ran his hand across his face and let out a sigh that ended in a groan as he leaned back in his chair. Despite how plush his seat was, he couldn't get comfortable - not that he wanted it. He couldn't accept it. Not now. Not with Ken still in a coma. "Ken…"

"It's my turn now."

The sudden familiar feminine voice made Ryo jerk from surprise, and he looked up to see Keiko entering the bedroom with Nyamon right by her side.

Keiko paused at the foot of the bed to look at Ken before she moved to Ryo's side. "Go eat and rest."

"Don't worry," Nyamon said as she crossed her arms. "We'll let you know when Ken wakes up."

Ryo nodded at that before he stood up stiffly. As much as part of him wanted to protest and remain a little longer, he already knew he wasn't going to win any more than Keiko did when he switched out with her. He also noticed that at some point Higashi had left the room, likely to get something else for Ken like a fresh pillow or blanket. His muscles ached from sitting still for so long, and he had to take the time to stretch and rub his arms and legs for a bit. Once he felt as though he could move freely again, he let out a weary sigh as he allowed his hands to drop to his sides.

Lingering a moment more, Ryo gave Ken one last look, desperate to see some sign that he was waking up, before he surrendered his post and approached the door

Nyamon watched Ryo as he passed her by before she turned her attention to Ken. "By the way."

Ryo paused at that and glanced down at the cat Digimon, with a blink.

"The time distortion has ended," Nyamon said, her expression unreadable.

"What!?" Ryo blurted out a she whirled to face her, shocked. All the fatigue he felt by the end of his watch evaporated under a terrible jolt of adrenaline. "So Millenniumon-"

"Was apparently not involved," Keiko said, eyes closed and lips curled in distaste. "For once."

"But… how is that possible?" Ryo asked, glancing between the two. "What happened!?"

"The other Chosen Children killed an enemy called 'Apocalymon'," Nyamon said, finally turning her head to look at Ryo again. "After they did, time began to right itself and flow normally once more."

"A… Apocalymon?" Ryo repeated the name, slowly. He had never heard such a name before. Why hadn't anyone told him that there was another threat just as dangerous as Millenniumon out there?

Nyamon nodded. "He was apparently the leader of Piemon."

"So _he's_ the one that attacked Ken?" Ryo asked, clearly struggling with what he was hearing. "But what… how does Millenniumon… I mean, but what about everything _we_ … I..."

Keiko moved to Ryo's side and placed a hand on his shoulder, as she locked eyes with him. " _Breathe_ , Ryo. We don't know what was going on with Apocalymon either, just that the others discovered him right before killing him."

"I know how you feel," Nyamon said, with a snap of her tail. "It feels disorienting - like we had the rug ripped out from underneath us. But as it currently stands, it seems like everything's over."

Ryo reached up rub the back of his head, then grimaced. "I… don't know what to say."

"For now, just get some rest," Keiko said, her expression softening. "And leave Ken to me."

Ryo was quiet for a moment before he nodded, far more weary than he had been moments ago. "Alright. Good night."

"Good night, Ryo," Nyamon said, watching as the Chosen of Miracles left the room, closing the door behind him. She was quiet for several moments before she snorted. "He didn't believe it any more than we did."

Keiko nodded before she took a seat in the chair Ryo vacated, the cushions still warm from his body heat. "It must've been a puppet. It had to. Just because he didn't use the name Millenniumon…"

For the first time in a while, Wormmon spoke up, his weak, cracking voice startling the girls. "Apocalymon is still the one who told Piemon to do this to Ken-chan, right?"

"I guess," Keiko said after a moment.

"The other Chosen Children killed Piemon too," Nyamon added with a snap of her tail.

"Good," Wormmon muttered, his eyes never leaving Ken. "I wish I could've been the one to kill them."

Silence lingered in the room for a long moment before Nyamon hopped onto the bed and sat beside Wormmon. She placed her hand upon his back and bowed her head a little. "I feel the same."

The ephemeral vision of Narakumon appeared beside Keiko, his arms crossed. Although he could have appeared in a physical state, in this form he spared Wormmon and Ken from his intimidating presence, as well as potential awkwardness.

" _Ryo's instincts are as incredible as always,"_ Narakumon said. _"And that they're telling him this is a pack of lies - and bad ones at that. It may fool everyone else, but it won't fool me."_

"So it isn't really over," Keiko said, softly, not that Wormmon seemed to be paying attention to her muttering to herself. "Apocalymon was just a patsy."

Narakumon nodded. _"He's up to something, as always."_

"What do we do?" Nyamon asked, not caring if Wormmon overheard. "Hunt him down?"

" _We wait, and let him think he's deceived us,"_ Narakumon said. _"Keep both eyes open and watch for his next move."_ He hesitated before his expression softened. _"As for Miracles and Kindness..."_

"Let's keep them out of it, if we can," Nyamon said. "They've been through enough."

Narakumon nodded, his expression pained, before he turned to Keiko. _"...As have you, Keiko."_

"I'm fine," Keiko said a little louder than she intended, the words coming too quick to have much behind them. "It's Ken we should be worried about."

"Yes," Wormmon said, reminding everyone of his presence. "When Ken-chan is better, I want to go with you." He turned his gaze towards the girls, his watery blue eyes blazing with a terrible fire. "If Millenniumon did this, I want to make him pay myself."

Nyamon nodded, her expression solemn, as she patted Wormmon's back. "Right."

Narakumon watched Wormmon as the little Digimon returned to the silent vigil without further comment, then down at the unconscious Ken. _"Humans weren't meant to take attacks from Digimon. The fact that he's survived this long, despite being such a small boy…"_ His eyes drifted to Keiko and a small shudder ran through his ghostly form. Fortunately, all eyes were still on Ken, sparing him from displaying even such a minute weakness. _"...He will recover, even if Tenraimon has to get involved."_

"Even if Mama doesn't know how to fix what's wrong?" Keiko asked before rubbing the sting from her eyes.

Narakumon caught his adoptive daughter's gaze and gave a smile that would terrify most, but not her. _"Of course. What do you think she's been doing all this time?"_

Keiko relaxed, just a little, then a bit more as her papa gently stroked her hair.

Nyamon noticed the faint tension that crept into Wormmon's body from a question he couldn't hear the answer to. "Tenraimon _will_ fix this."

Although Wormmon didn't quite relax, he returned to a less anxious state, and nodded. "R-right. Ken-chan will get better. Absolutely. Absolutely…"

Silence lingered for a time in an air filled with unbroken tension and mild comforts. Eventually, Nyamon glanced at the DigiGod. "What's happening with the other children?"

" _Gennai sent them home,"_ Narakumon said.

"Really?" Nyamon asked, quirking an eyebrow as she turned to fully stare at Narakumon. "He actually _believes_ it?"

" _Of course he would,"_ Narakumon said, with a snort. _"He's just a program serving the Holy Beasts. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to_ _ **lunge**_ _on the idea that it's just darkness causing trouble as always."_

Keiko sighed and shook her head, though her eyes never strayed from Ken. "Idiots."

" _Let them believe what they like,"_ Narakumon said. _"It makes it easier to lull our prey in to a false sense of security."_

Keiko nodded, trying to remain stoic, but she couldn't erase the cracks scarred into her stony facade - not until Ken woke up.

* * *

Higashi fumbled about the kitchen, his hands shaking slightly as he rooted through the cabinets. He felt as exhausted as he looked, with heavy bags under his eyes and his wings drooping slightly. As he reached up for a jar on a higher shelf, his fingers brushed against it just enough to dislodge it. However, in his state, he lacked the reflexes to catch it as it went tumbling forward. Helplessly, he could only yelp as the jar went flying past, heading straight for the floor.

Higashi turned just in time to see the jar easily snatched in mid-air by Zennyu, whose sudden appearance made the angel jump. He placed his hand over his chest as he let out a sigh, then gave his partner a grateful smile as he reached to take the jar from Zennyu. "T-thank you… I didn't see you there."

Zennyu allowed the other angel to take the jar, his expression piercing. "You need to rest."

Higashi paused at that before he looked away, instead focusing on the jar as he opened it. "I… not yet. Ken still needs my help." He paused for a moment before a weary sigh escaped him. "Humans are… more difficult to heal than Digimon, it seems."

"His fever has broken," Zennyu said, not taking his eyes away from his angel even as Higashi tried not to look at him.

"Yes, which means he needs me more than ever," Higashi said, wearily. "His condition is fragile, and he could still easily relapse.'

"He can wait an hour for your care," Zennyu said as he ran his fingers through Higashi's bangs, sliding the errant hairs out of the other angel's face. "Please sleep for at least an hour, Higashi."

Higashi sighed heavily before he finally looked up to meet Zennyu's gaze. "I can't, I-"

Zennyu closed the distance between them, his lips meeting Higashi's tenderly and silencing any further protest. A muffled, but not at all protesting squeak escaped the angel of Light as he reluctantly allowed himself to enjoy such affection.

They barely parted before Zennyu swept Higashi up into his arms with practiced ease. "One hour. I won't accept anything less."

Higashi wanted to protest as he was carried away from the kitchen in Zennyu's arms, but in the end, he lacked the energy to. Instead, he simply sighed as he sagged in his lover's arms, relenting. His head drooped as he rested it against Zennyu's chest, closing his eyes. "I just can't win against you, can I...?"

"You won my heart a long time ago," Zennyu said with a wry smile, gratified to see a rosy blush appear on Higashi's cheeks "I yield to you every day, Higashi. You are my love, my life, my reason for existing. I just can't help but being a little selfish when it comes to you now and again."

A soft smile played on Higashi's lips as he further relaxed against the angel of Darkness, lightly holding the long forgotten jar in his hand.

Zennyu leaned in closer, his low voice taking on a richer rumble that suggested delightful things to come. "And I promise you I'll do everything I can to persuade you to spend far more than an hour in our bed."

No response came from Higashi. It seemed that in that brief moment of relaxing his guard, exhaustion swooped in and stole his consciousness away, leaving him deeply asleep in Zennyu's arms. His breathing was even as he slumbered, his body trying desperately to regain the energy he had spent for so long.

Zennyu exhaled deeply, relaxing even as he felt a twinge of disappointment. The relief he felt was well worth not getting a blushing reaction from his beloved. However, as he bent down to kiss Higashi's brow and bid the other angel sweet dreams, he noted to himself that when Higashi woke, his lover would no doubt be far more rested for his _persuasion_ then.

Although Zennyu knew that he was forcing the issue, Higashi needed someone to put him first. Zennyu was painfully aware that without his intervention, his darling Higashi would work himself to death again and again and again. He was seeing it happen right before his very eyes, and had seen it far too often in the past as well.

Higashi could never refuse to help anyone, even if it meant his own destruction.


	30. Chapter 30

Ken grimaced. He _ached_ \- from his head to his toes, and everything in between. The worst of the pain came from the back of his neck, which throbbed in time with his heartbeat. It was enough to make him wish for unconsciousness once more, rather than the painful awakening that was drawing his consciousness back to the surface. The Chosen of Kindness' grimace intensified as he slowly peeled his eyes open, his brow furrowed.

Ken was greeted by the sight of his bedroom ceiling. For a moment, he found himself disoriented, wondering if he had suddenly woken up from a bad dream. Only the ache proved this not to be the case, which only heightened his confusion. "Huh…?"

"Ken-chan!" Wormmon cried, tears overflowing as he lunged to hug Ken. "You're awake! You're finally awake! I was so worried you'd never wake up again!"

Ken blinked groggily as he stared down at Wormmon, though he instinctively wrapped his arms around his partner to accept the hug, his movements more stiff and sluggish than he expected. "Wormmon?"

Ken barely had a moment to process Wormmon's words before he heard his name shouted, this time by three at once. He looked up just in time to see Keiko, Nyamon, and Ryo rush the bed on all sides. Whatever else they said in their relieved rush overlapped into nothing but a chaotic collection of emotion as each of them joined in on the hug.

Ken blinked again as he glanced at the others, suddenly engulfed in a group hug. He didn't know what to say, as he still didn't fully process what was happening - or what had happened.

"Thank God," Ryo said, voice cracking a bit before he sniffled. "We were so worried."

"Don't ever do that again," Keiko murmured near Ken's ear, her voice thick with tears she hid only by burying her face against his shoulder.

Nyamon nodded in agreement, her own eyes moist with tears. " _Never_ again."

Ken furrowed his brow. "Did… something happen?"

There was a ripple of tension from that single, innocent question. Ryo looked at the others, feeling a mild jolt of panic at the prospect of answering, but none of them noticed his anxious, questioning gaze.

"It's…," he muttered, struggling for words. "You don't remember? Piemon… he…"

Wormmon burrowed into the sheets, pressing as close to Ken as he dared. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ken-chan. I couldn't protect you from the attack. It's all my fault. I'm a terrible partner, and I almost got you killed!"

Ken paused at that before he turned to stare down at Wormmon shocked. "What? No, that's… that's not true at all!" He still didn't fully remember what had happened, but he knew with absolute conviction that it was _not_ Wormmon's fault. "If anyone's a terrible partner, it's _me_! I'm the one everyone has to protect all the time!"

"You wouldn't be in danger at all if I was stronger!" Wormmon wailed, his blue eyes overflowing with tears and shame. "If I could protect you, then everything would be okay! I'm a weak and worthless insect of a Digimon! I don't deserve to be your partner. I'm so sorry!"

Ken was taken completely aback, at a loss for words. He hesitated before he pulled Wormmon in to a tight hug. "W-Wormmon… that's not true…!"

Wormmon could only sob in response, as the stress of the past several days overwhelmed him. He feebly continued to protest, but his words drowned in his tears as he clung to his Chosen Child.

Ryo hung back slightly, at a loss. He struggled with words, but none came that felt at all adequate enough to deal with such terrible emotion.

A small jolt of protective anger went through Keiko as she watched Ken comfort Wormmon. Ken had been the one at death's door, yet upon immediately awakening he was tasked to comfort Wormmon.

Keiko squashed that irritation almost as soon as she noticed it, and shame came quickly to fill in the void left behind. She placed a hand over Ken's as he held Wormmon close and tried her best to smile even though her tumultuous emotions twisted her mouth and ruined it. "Ken-chan… Wormmon… _neither_ of you are terrible. We love you."

"That's right!" Ryo agreed quickly, relieved that Keiko managed to find the words that eluded him. "Everything happened so fast… I'm still shocked you managed to react so fast, Ken." An uncomfortable heat rose at the back of his neck, but no amount of rubbing would ease the crawling sensation. "You're… kind of a hero? I mean, if you didn't shove me out of the way, then whatever that attack was would've hit me instead." Guilt churned in his gut, twisting his insides but he forced himself to finish his thought. "So… so you're not terrible at all, you know?"

Ken paused at Ryo's words as they slowly brought to mind memories that had been buried beneath the pain. He did, in fact, remember shoving Ryo and he had turned to do the same to Keiko. But after that point…

A sharp jolt of pain made Ken shiver before he shook his head, then turned to smile weakly at Keiko and Ryo. "I just… wanted to help..."

"You did," Ryo said quickly, placing his arm on Ken's shoulder as he tried to placate his friend with a smile that was tinged at the corners. "Just… don't ever do that again, okay?"

"You saved Ryo's life," Keiko said before ruffling Ken's hair. "We were afraid we were going to lose you…" She glanced sideways at Ryo, a sickly churning in her gut. "Though if you didn't do anything, we'd be worrying about losing Ryo all this time."

"You don't know that," Ryo said, grimacing. "I… I mean… if I was paying more attention, then we could've _both_ gotten out of the way in time and then there'd be no problem!"

"How 'bout we stop burdenin' each other with who was at fault and who shoulda done what, and focus on the fact that Ken-chan's back with us?" FlaWizarmon asked from the doorway, a smile on his weary face as he leaned against the doorframe. "Welcome back, Ken-chan."

Ken returned the smile with one of his own, growing slightly stronger the longer he was awake.

Witchmon floated past FlaWizarmon and came to a stop beside the bed, a silver platter in her hands. "We knew you could pull through, Ken-chan. You must be starving after such a long sleep. Who wants waffles with extra syrup and butter~?"

"That sounds great," Ken said before he looked down at his partner, doing his best to smile reassuringly. "Right, Wormmon?"

Wormmon nodded, rubbing his red-ringed eyes and finally brightening up. "Right! You need to eat lots and lots of yummy food and get your strength back, Ken-chan!"

"You need to eat too, Wormmon," Nyamon said as she poked one of the insect Digimon's antennae.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I brought _plenty_ for everybody~!" Witchmon practically sang as her cloak floated about her. In the blink of an eye, several silver platters appeared resting on top of the black fabric as though it was a table. "We'll have a nice little breakfast in bed picnic celebration, and Ken-chan is the guest of honor." She made a show of winking at Ken. "Our hero of the hour."

Ken's cheeks turned a bright shade of red as he blushed under the immense praise being lavished upon him. It left him speechless, and yet exceedingly happy. The only downside was the pain in the back of his neck, that throbbed whenever he moved. He nearly touched the bandages there, but stopped, knowing the eyes of his friends were upon him. Instead, he maneuvered carefully into a sitting position and tried to ignore the lingering pain, along with the troubling foggy hole in his memory.

For once, he finally did something right as a Chosen Child.

* * *

It wasn't until several days after waking that Ken was finally well enough to go home; and by that point, he was more than ready for it. He missed his home, his room, and his family - even if they hadn't missed him. So when it came time to finally gate out, the Chosen of Kindness eagerly envisioned the room he shared with his brother, directing his gate before he disappeared within it.

The rush of energy and light was disorienting, but not as much as the sudden appearance of Ken's bedroom as he returned to the human world. And whatever relief he felt at its sight was completely dashed by the sudden appearance of Osamu's stunned face seconds before Ken tumbled directly in to it, Wormmon in tow.

Ken grimaced as he found himself on the floor, then jerked as he realized he was sprawled out on top of Osamu, wedging the insect Digimon painfully between them. He yelped before he scrambled up, pulling up Wormmon as he went, and stepped out of the way. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean… I…" The Chosen of Kindness faltered before he gave a helpless shrug. "Um, I'm home, Osamu!" He felt mortified at stating the obvious, but he was at a loss for what else to say.

Although there was a moment of agitation mixed with surprise captured in Osamu's expression, it passed quickly before he lunged to embrace Ken, pulling his little brother back to the floor in a powerful hug. " _Ken!_ "

Ken yelped as he was pulled, his eyes wide. As he collapsed back on his brother, he blinked slowly before he furrowed his brow in confusion. "O-Osamu?"

The anger returned, but it was tinged by moisture at the corner of Osamu's eyes as he leaned back just enough to see Ken's face. "What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

Ken jerked, startled not only by the flash of anger but the sudden curse from Osamu. His brother _never_ swore, often citing it as a sign of a lack of intelligence. To actually hear the word come out of his genius brother was enough to completely take the wind out of Ken's sails, causing him to stare at his older brother. "Huh?"

"You disappear into thin air, don't contact anyone, and then just show up like nothing happened!?" Osamu demanded as he held his brother's shoulders in a vice-like grip. "Do you have _any_ idea how worried you made me!? Did you even think of us at all!?"

Ken gaped at Osamu, completely thunderstruck. "I… you… there was a time distortion, remember? I was only gone for a few minutes! If I had contacted you, it-"

" _Minutes_!?" Osamu repeated, incredulous. "You were gone for _weeks_!"

Ken once again found himself gaping at his brother, at a loss for words. "Huh?"

Osamu's grip on Ken's shoulders grew nearly painful. "According to the conversion rate you told me of one minute here being a day there, you were gone for over _twenty-five years_!"

Ken stared at Osamu, his expression almost uncomprehending for a moment before it fully registered what he was hearing. "N-no! I wasn't- it was a few months at _most_! I-"

As Ken spoke, something in the back of his mind flagged him - the others had mentioned the time distortion had ended during that celebratory breakfast after he awoke from his coma, but it wasn't really discussed afterward, so the knowledge slipped from his memory. The realization that he had been out far, far longer than he intended hit him like a meteor crashing to earth, draining the blood from his cheeks. "Wait, so… you mean time's been… flowing normally ever since…"

"You were asleep for many days, Ken-chan," Wormmon said as he looked up at his Chosen with concern in his eyes. "It's not your fault."

"What happened?!" Osamu asked sharply as his wild eyes fixed on Wormmon. " _What did you do to Ken_?"

Wormmon cringed back and stared up at Osamu, startled by his sudden reaction. "Ah, he…"

Ken could immediately tell that it had been a mistake for Wormmon to mention - or even vaguely reference - his injury and illness. He could only hope he could salvage the situation before it freaked Osamu out even more than he already had. "Wormmon didn't do anything to me! I… stuff just happened, but I'm fine, and I'm home, so… so you don't need to worry! I-it's fine! Everything's fine!"

"Everything is _not_ fine!" Osamu shouted in Ken's face, voice cracking. "Don't you have any idea how _stupid_ what you did was!? You could've _died_ over there, and there's _nothing_ I could do to help you or even find out! _Ever_! I kept thinking that it was already too late, and I was never going to see you again, and I'd never be able to tell anyone what happened to you or they'd think I was _insane_!"

Ken grimaced. He wanted to argue, but he couldn't rightly do so when he knew he had spent several weeks in a coma due to a Digimon attack - and very nearly died from it. It would have made him a liar, and intensify the guilt he already felt. "I… Ryo was protecting me, and so was Keiko… a-and I just wanted to help, and not be a burden on anyone, so I…"

"Ryo didn't bother contacting me either!" Osamu snarled. "Don't act like he'll keep you safe! He's an idiot who can't even stand up to the kids who hate him at school! He only spends time with you because you're too nice to see through him and how he's using you to feel better about himself, and now he's dragged you along on this insane suicide mission just so he can feel like a hero!"

Ken flinched before he shook his head. "T-that's… R-Ryo was in way more danger than I was! He was being very brave, and did his best to watch out for me! A-and Keiko too! I was more protected than anyone! He must have… just forgotten to contact you!"

" _You were in a coma!_ " Osamu shrieked, eyes wide and wild. "That's not protected, that's _on the brink of death_!"

"P-please don't blame, Ken-chan," Wormmon yelped, waving his digits to catch Osamu's attention, only to regret it when those intense dark eyes pierced him like daggers.

"I don't want to hear a word out of you, you _monster!_ " Osamu snapped savagely, directing an accusing finger at the beast Ken held. "You're one of them! You're one of those monsters that almost killed my brother!"

Before Ken knew what was happening, Osamu ripped Wormmon from his hands and threw the little Digimon across the room. Wormmon yelped as he slammed into the wall beside the door hard enough to punch a hole in the drywall.

"Get out!" Osamu shrieked. "If I ever see you near Ken again, _I'll kill you_!"

"Wormmon!" Ken yelped as he hurried over to his partner. "A-are you o-"

Ken never reached Wormmon, as Osamu snagged him by the wrist and pulled him back.

"Don't touch that thing!" Osamu snapped. "It's not your friend, it's just using you like all those other monsters are using you as a pawn in their sick game!"

"No, he's not!" Ken snapped back as he whirled to face Osamu, feeling his own surge of anger forming at how his brother was treating his partner. "Wormmon is my friend! He cares about me and protected me! He's been there for me the whole time!"

"No he's not!" Osamu yelled. "You got him as a pet at the same time they took you in and told you that you were some destined hero, but wouldn't let you go home, _even though you couldn't do anything_. They leech off your energy and use you for some pointless game where they can deal with problems a hell of a lot better than a bunch of kids can because they're using you for something else, and you're too star struck by the idea of being a hero to see it!"

"I-I… I could _too_ do something!" Ken protested, even as Osamu's words jabbed at his insecurities like a knife. "I helped, I wasn't just a burden on them-!"

The Chosen of Kindness couldn't finish his complaint, as the loud, bellowing voice of his father cut him off, seconds before the door flung open wide.

"What's going on in here!?" Haruto demanded as he loomed in the doorway, the very impression of fatherly disapproval. He stopped and turned to stare at Ken, who gaped up at him in confusion. His eyebrows shot up as he let out a cry of shock. "Ken!?"

"Ken!" The name drew Yui into the room instantly, and the second she spotted her son, she let out a deep, shuddering sigh. "Oh, thank goodness… You're finally home!"

Ken's father was less than charitable in his reaction, glaring down at his youngest son as his disapproval returned to his face in full force. "Just what are you thinking, young man!? You run off like a delinquent and worry your mother and brother and me, then suddenly show up and start causing a scene?!"

"I'm not causing a scene!" Ken protested. "Osamu-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Haruto snapped. "Apologize immediately, not just to Osamu but to us as well!"

Ken stared at his father in shock, then bristled. Even though his father's anger usually terrified him, his own fury for Wormmon's sake proved more powerful. " _No_! He _threw_ Wormmon! _He_ should apologize!"

Haruto stopped and stared at his son, incredulous that the normally meek and timid boy was shouting at _him_. "What did you say?"

"It wasn't even an accident, he threw Wormmon specifically to hurt him!" Ken snapped as he turned to glare at his brother. "You're _always_ hurting my friends and they've _never_ done anything bad to you!"

Yui blinked. "What's a Worm-"

A terrible scream echoed through the apartment and beyond the second Yui clapped eyes on the gigantic insect crawling towards her youngest son. Fear took away all sense of reason as she clung to her husband's arm and shrieked at the monster, almost incoherent in stumbling over her words as she begged him to kill the massive bug that invaded their home.

Even Haruto was taken off guard as he stepped back, his face going pale as he gawked at the creature. "W-what is _that_!?"

Ken turned to pick up Wormmon, carefully holding his partner close as he side-eyed Osamu to make sure his brother didn't try anything again. His grip grew only more protectively tight, as his parents' reactions set him completely on edge. "'That' is Wormmon, my _friend_!"

"It's one of the monsters that kidnapped Ken," Osamu snarled as his calculating, piercing eyes raked over his defiant little brother and the _monster_ in Ken's arms. "It's tricked Ken into thinking they're friends so he can use him for some sick game that almost got Ken _killed_!"

"N-no, no!" Wormmon yelped as he waved his digits around in a futile attempt to ward off the accusations. "That's not true! I'd never hurt Ken-chan!"

"He did _not_!" Ken protested, agreeing with his partner. "He pr-"

Yui's scream drowned Ken out as she clutched tighter to her husband. "Oh my God, it can talk! Kill it! Kill it! _Kill it!_ "

"No!" Ken tried to protest again, stepping back as he held his partner protectively. "He's _not_ -"

"Ken, put that _monster_ down right this instant!" Haruto demanded, even as he reached over to grab a baseball bat resting against the wall of their room.

"No!" Ken shrieked, his temper becoming frayed. " _Listen to me_!"

Osamu took that moment of inattention to lunge for Wormmon, ripping the Digimon from Ken's weaker grip before he turned away in the direction of the balcony.

Ken felt his heart lurch in his chest and he lunged to grab his partner, trying to rescue him from his menacing older brother. "Let go! _Stop it_!"

Unfortunately, the difference in strength between the brothers was too one-sided. When it was clear to Ken that Osamu was not only ignoring him completely, but that his struggles amounted to nothing, panic settled in and the Chosen of Kindness did the only thing he could think of.

Ken grabbed Osamu's arm and bit him as hard as he could, breaking the skin with his teeth.

Osamu howled in pain, halted in his plan to throw the Digimon out the balcony to the streets below and instead dropped the squirming insect on the floor as he yanked his bleeding arm away from his little brother. Ken wasted no time in snatching his partner up as he raced for the door.

Unfortunately, both his father and mother still blocked the way, with Haruto wielding the baseball bat menacingly.

"Ken!" Haruto barked. "Drop that _thing_ immediately!"

"Wormmon!" Ken yelled. "Use Sticky Net!"

Wormmon hesitated, reluctant to harm his precious partner's family, before obeying Ken's order and spat a sticky web-like substance at the two adult humans. The impact wasn't harmful, but it was forceful enough to send them to the opposing wall in the hallway, the sticky goo pinning them there despite their struggles and screams.

Ken took his chance and raced past his parents, neither able to stop him as he bolted for the front door.

"Ken!" Osamu's voice came from behind the young boy, rough with pain and anger. "Stop!"

Ken didn't listen. The time for talk was dead, and he wasn't going to stop until he saved his partner. Without looking back, he burst through the front door and out of the apartment, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

By the time Osamu reached the front door, Ken was gone.

* * *

It wasn't hard for Osamu to guess where Ken fled; it was the same place his little brother always retreated to escape from home. While he had never been to the location himself, it took little effort to look up the information and a little bit of detective work to find his way in short order. The only true delay was the time it took to free his parents from the webbing that monster unleashed upon them.

When all was said and done, not even an hour had passed since the incident before Osamu stood outside the iron gate of the Akiyama residence.

The place suited someone like Akiyama who had everything simply handed to him, Osamu mused as he wrinkled his nose up in distaste. The home was generously sized two-story house surrounded by a stone fence, a true luxury when compared to the tightly packed apartment complexes that filled the inner city where space was at a premium. Even the Ichijouji's cramped little home, packed in like sardines between their neighbors, didn't possess even a quarter of the space that the Akiyamas enjoyed.

Osamu let out a grunt before he walked through the open gate and stormed his way up the path past a tastefully manicured garden to the front door, and slammed his finger on the doorbell with excessive force. When a second passed and nothing happened, he pushed the bell again, then a third time after another second yielded no further results.

It was only after the 17th ring of the bell that the door finally opened to reveal a man with slick dark brown hair and a goatee, wearing a turtleneck sweater and jeans. The adult, undoubtedly Ryo's father, locked eyes with Osamu and scrunched up his mouth a little. The serious concern on his face without even a hint of confusion or surprise told the elder Ichijouji child all he needed to know.

"I'm here for Ken," Osamu said, his eyes narrowing.

Ryo's father glanced off further into the house before he straightened up with a nod, expecting as such. He stepped back and held the door open for Osamu. "Come on in, they've been waiting."

Osamu wordlessly stormed into the house, proceeding past the patriarch of the Akiyama family without a second glance. Instead, he scanned the foyer and the adjoining rooms and hallways for any sign of his little brother. Movement at the top of the stairs caught his eye, and he instantly focused on the second floor landing just in time to see Ryo descend with the careful gait of someone expecting a fight.

Osamu narrowed his eyes, hackles rising further at the sight of Ryo, but he quickly discarded thoughts of his rival and focused further back on the second floor. While he didn't see more than family photographs and shadows on the wall, he suspected that Ken was hiding behind a corner or behind an open door, listening and waiting for the outcome of the battle between him and Ryo.

Ryo held up his hand, a nervous smile quirking the corners of his mouth. "Okay, before you start up again, just _listen_ to what Ken has to say when you talk to him."

Osamu didn't bother to acknowledge Ryo's placating statement, his eyes never straying from a shadow that looked suspiciously Ken-shaped. "Are you planning on running away again to that other world, Ken?" he snarled, loud enough to ensure that his brother would hear even on the other side of the house. "Just throw me away for a life of adventure and don't give a fuck about whether or not you'll survive, or if I'll ever see you again?"

Ryo jerked, taken aback by Osamu swearing. He quickened his pace to stand in the other boy's line of sight, blocking Osamu's view. "Hold it! I said _when_ you talk to Ken. First you're talking to _me._ Ken didn't do anything wrong."

Osamu finally met Ryo's gaze, his eyes filled with fury. "Shut the hell up, Akiyama! I may have let you use Ken to make yourself feel big for years without stopping it, but I'm sure as hell not going to let you keep using him after you almost got him _killed_!"

The last word was like a physical blow that sent Ryo reeling back two steps, an exquisite artwork of pain painted across his face. The words he prepared to say to Osamu fell apart in his mind as guilt flooded in its place.

Such a brutal accusation was enough to call Ken out of his hiding place, who finally stepped out onto the second story landing, still holding Wormmon in his arms. "Ryo didn't do anything wrong! It wasn't his fault-"

Ryo lifted up his hand to cut off the intervention and shook his head at Ken before he turned his attention back to Osamu. "You can blame me for whatever you want," he said with a heavy air. "If it makes you feel better, you can hate me and never, ever forgive me, but Ken didn't do anything wrong and neither did Wormmon."

"Don't patronize me, Akiyama!" Osamu snarled as he jabbed Ryo's chest with his finger as if it was a rapier. "Don't pretend that you give a damn how I feel - that you _ever_ gave a damn! You took my little brother away from me for the last time!" He turned his hostile gaze to Ken. "Ken, you're coming home with me, _without_ that insect. Or that monster."

Ken hesitated, as he briefly thought Osamu was referring to Wormmon both times. However, he quickly realized that wasn't the case - his brother was insulting both of his friends at the same time. It reignited his anger all over again. "Stop talking bad about Ryo, and Wormmon! They're my _friends_!" A hissing breath overflowing with frustration slid through his teeth. "Why won't you _listen_ to me!?"

Wormmon had enough of watching Ken suffer. There was only one solution, and, for once, he would be strong enough to do something about it. "I-it's okay, Ken-chan," Wormmon said with only a slightly wavering voice. "Maybe… maybe you should do what your brother wants." He could see Ken look about to protest, so he raised his feelers to wave it off. "It won't be forever. If we show we trust him and give him time to calm down so you two can talk on your own, then maybe he'll learn to trust me too."

"Wormmon…" Ken murmured as he stared down at his partner.

Wormmon did his best to smile and hide how his heart was breaking at the thought of being separated from Ken again. "I'll just stay with Ryo, and you can come visit me. It'll be okay."

"But…" Ken muttered. It felt wrong - completely wrong. His brother was being unreasonable, and _attacking_ his friends, and both Ryo and Wormmon were just taking it. Even worse, they were telling him to do the same.

"I don't fully understand what's going on," Ryo's father said as he glanced between Osamu and Ken. "But you're still family - brothers shouldn't fight."

Ken hesitated before he grimaced, tightening his grip around Wormmon. His arms trembled as he held the Digimon close. The idea of being separated from him was unbearable, painful even. "Wormmon…"

"It's fine," Wormmon said softly as he patted Ken's arm. "Go home, okay?"

Ken furrowed his brow, glancing between his Digimon and Ryo, then back again.

" _Now_ , Ken!" Osamu snapped, his eyes never leaving his brother.

Ken flinched before he glanced back at Osamu, then turned his attention to Wormmon. Reluctantly, he set his partner down on the floor, his movements slow as he struggled to comply even as his heart screamed against it. Everything he had faced in the Digital World, all the trials he had gone through, and none of it compared to what he was going through that very moment. He would rather have been back dealing with Millenniumon's armies than be where he was at that very moment. It took everything he had to descend the steps, as both his heart and mind screamed against what he was doing.

"It'll be okay," Ryo said softly as Ken passed. "So don't worry."

Ken couldn't even muster a response behind a weak smile. He crossed the remaining distance between himself and his brother, who then grabbed his arm before dragging him towards the front door, not even giving Ryo or his father a second glance.

Ken looked back at Ryo and Wormmon as he followed after Osamu, trying not to cry as he felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest.

* * *

The atmosphere at dinner was tense, to say the very least. Even with the Ichijouji family sitting around the table, each at their respective places, the air was oppressive with tension. With the father and mother taking up the seats at the long ends of the table while Osamu and Ken sat opposite on the sides, everyone could get a good view of the others - and the smoldering negativity that hung in the air like an invisible fog.

Ken didn't even bother to lift his head, keeping his eyes focused exclusively on the plate in front of him. His first meal home after months of adventure should have been like a feast to him, but instead the food was like sand in his mouth. It was a vastly different experience than the ones he had shared with the others. It seemed that he had spent so much time in the Digital World that he had forgotten what was waiting for him in the human world, what he had left behind and had waiting for him upon his return.

He never should have left.

Yui glanced about the table anxiously, alternating his gaze between her son and her husband until the atmosphere became too much for her. She let out an awkward little laugh as she turned to Ken. "W-well! That was quite a bit of excitement, wasn't it? But it's all over now, and things can go back to normal."

Ken didn't even meet his mother's gaze, picking at his food with his chopsticks before reaching for his bowl of rice.

"We'll have to explain things to your school, as best we can," Haruto said, his tone disapproving. "If you're fortunate, they'll allow you to catch up the work you missed while you were goofing off with _monsters_."

"You mean _kidnapped_ ," Osamu grumbled.

Haruto paused for a moment before nodding sagely. "Right as always, Osamu."

Ken jabbed his chopsticks harshly into the rice, with far more force than necessary, as he continued to eat without giving a response.

"Are you listening, young man?" Haruto asked, scowling. "You put everyone through quite an ordeal due to your selfishness!"

Ken continued his silence, eating his food despite how unappetizing it - and the entire atmosphere - was. After all, it was completely pointless to speak when they refused to listen to anything he had to say.

"You're behaving like a brat," Osamu said. sharply. "Just because you can't keep _playing hero_ -"

"At least I actually did something with my life."

Osamu froze. While the voice was undoubtedly Ken's, it carried with it a malice that was completely out of character for his timid younger brother, leaving him reeling. "What?"

Ken lifted his eyes to fix his brother with a sharp glare that contained just as much venom as his words had. "Instead of being nothing but a _puppet_ and putting on shows so Mom and Dad can feel good about themselves."

Osamu stared at Ken, struck speechless. Even their parents didn't know how to respond or take what was happening, with Yui's chopsticks falling from her numb fingers as everyone gaped at the Chosen of Kindness.

"I actually made a _difference_ , I actually _mattered_ ," Ken said, his voice a low growl. "I may not matter to you or to Mom and Dad, but I mattered to those 'monsters' - to _them_. And there are far more of _them_ than _you_."

The accusation hung in the air and brought everything to a halt, but Ken was only getting started. "What have _you_ done? Just some stupid tests. That's all you do - take tests. And _none_ of it _matters_." His voice began to rise in volume, with his anger rising to match like a high tide threatening to overtake a beach. "You take tests, people pat you on the head and tell you how smart you are, and then they _forget_ about it until you do it all over again! It doesn't _change_ anything, it doesn't _do_ anything, _it - doesn't - matter_!"

Ken jabbed his chopsticks in Osamu's direction, as if they were a knife to accompany his words. " _You_ don't matter! If you disappeared, no one would notice or even _care_! They'd just _replace_ you with a _new_ puppet! That's how _little_ you _matter_!"

Osamu gaped at his brother, jaw hanging open. The sheer venom of those words, striking home and piercing the darkest corners of his heart, rendered him speechless. The only thing more powerful was the hatred in Ken's eyes, directed entirely upon him with such ferocity unlike anything he ever seen from anyone, especially not from his kind little brother.

Haruto recovered enough to stand up and slam his hands on the table. "How _dare_ you speak to your brother like that! Go to your room!"

"Disappear! _Disappear_!" Ken snarled as he stood up, slamming his own hands on the table. The pain he felt only fueled his anger, erupting inside of him like a volcano that refused to be silenced. " _I wish you would disappear_!"

A loud _smack_ issued through the room as Haruto's hand lashed out to strike Ken across the cheek, sending the young boy staggering back, head snapped to the side, as an angry red mark appeared against his pale skin.

"Go - to - your - room." Haruto repeated, his voice low and threatening,

Ken trembled, tears forming, before he turned to fix Osamu with his piercing eyes, where a fire smoldered that hadn't been dulled in the slightest by either the strike or the tears that now spilled down his cheeks.

"I hate you." Ken said, his voice as cold as a winter's breeze.

The Chosen of Kindness then stepped away from the table, walking past his father and heading towards the room he shared with the boy he once was happy to call brother. He refused to look back before slamming the door behind him.


	31. Chapter 31

Students of all ages were no strangers to the library, no matter what country they lived in. Serving as a window to knowledge and a place where they could study in peace, it wasn't an unusual sight to see children hard at work as they poured through the books in hushed tones that never rose above a whisper.

However, unlike the rest of the children in the building, Ken and Ryo weren't researching for their studies. Instead, they were looking up something far more important - hints to Keiko's family.

Ken sat at one of the tables in the central area of the library, carefully looking through the carefully preserved news articles, gingerly handling each one as he looked through them. He only worked one-handed, however, as the other remained atop Wormmon's head, stroking his partner who sat curled up in his. This was the first chance they had to be together in days, and he wasn't about to squander a single second even when they were on a mission.

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," Ken muttered, more to himself than to Ryo as the Chosen of Miracles worked beside him.

"At least we have a time frame to work with," Ryo whispered back, glancing over at the smaller boy. "Even if it's been years for Keiko, barely any time at all had passed for our world. It only really began to flow again when the other Chosen defeated Apocalymon."

Ken nodded, though his expression growing strained. The other boy's words served as a reminder of his own return home, and the fight that he resulted from it.

Ryo seemed to notice the shift in Ken's mood and glanced over at the younger boy. He hesitated before he gathered the courage to ask the question that had been plaguing him. "So, uh, how is… everything with Osamu?"

"Fine," Ken said, his voice hard. "It's just fine."

Ryo grimaced before he glanced helplessly from Ken to Wormmon. He didn't even need to ask to know what Ken meant.

"It's okay, Ken-chan," Wormmon said as he rubbed Ken's hand with a digit of his own. "He let you meet up with us, so-"

"He didn't 'let' me do anything," Ken said, his voice still as hard as stone. "He's too busy 'studying' to notice what I do, one way or another. I've once again blended in to the background, so I don't even know why he bothered in the first place."

Ryo grimaced again before he returned his attention back to what they were doing. It was clear that not enough time had passed for the tension to blow over - for Osamu _or_ Ken. "R-right…"

Keiko sat opposite of the two boys, her expression deadpan as she held Nyamon in her lap. Being back in the human world after so long, everything felt strange and foreign to her - and more than a little uncomfortable. Fortunately, protecting Ken was more than familiar to her. "My offer to talk to them for you still stands, Ken-chan."

"He won't listen to you," Ken muttered. "He won't listen to _anyone_ because he thinks he's _always right_ because he's a _genius_ , and Mom and Dad will side with him on _everything_."

Keiko made a show of cracking her knuckles, but it was the way the light dimmed around her hands that was truly intimidating. "I know how to deal with anyone who refuses to listen."

Ken paused at that, as the memory of Keiko punching Xuanwumon replayed through his mind. His first instinct was to reject the idea vehemently, but then a second memory returned to twist his insides - the moment Osamu tried to Wormmon out of their balcony, and the nightmares he had after that day where he succeeded.

The Chosen of Kindness scowled as his anger flickered back to life, the hand stroking Wormmon pulling his partner just a little closer. "He'd just get you in trouble. Even if he deserves it."

Ryo stared at Ken, stunned that the normally gentle boy hadn't completely rejected the idea in its entirety - like the Ken he knew would have in the past. It only served to inform him of how deep the rift between the two brothers had become. "Ken…"

Wormmon's antenna drooped as he cast his concerned blue eyes to Ken before he nuzzled his partner in a futile attempt to soothe the poor boy.

"Let's forget about _Osamu_ and focus on something that _actually matters_ ," Ken said, with no small amount of harshness. "Like finding Keiko's siblings."

Keiko regarded Ken for a long moment before yielding to his will with a weary sigh. "You don't need to do this, you know."

"We know," Ryo said as he buried his nose back into the stack of newspapers, guiltily relieved by the change in topic.

"We _want_ to," Ken agreed, carefully turning over another page of the newspaper as he began to read the backside.

"Don't worry, Keiko!" Wormmon said as he peeked up over the edge of the table. "We'll find something!"

Though Keiko's expression was as unwavering as stone, her hands' inability to keep still betrayed her nerves. She continually alternated between petting Nyamon, tapping at the table, or thumbing through newspaper stacks the boys already discarded.

Although she had a small pile of her own papers to search, it was the same handful she had taken when they first arrived at the library and she had barely finished made a dent in it. She was simply too uneasy to focus; her eyes wandering away after only a few words at a time as memories came back and twisted her insides with poisonous talons.

"They probably gave up on me a long time ago," Keiko muttered, her fingers fluttering the fringes of the papers.

"Well, for them, it wasn't that long," Ryo said as he finally looked up. "It's been a couple weeks, at _most_."

Keiko looked down at Nyamon, using her partner's soft fur to hide the trembling of her hands. "They're practically strangers. I've only met them _once_ and that was when I-"

"Got it!" Ken cried out before he remembered where he had shouted. He clapped his hands over his mouth and glanced over to the librarian's desk, only to meet the poisonous stare of the staff on hand. He wilted as he quickly looked away, turning to his friends. "I-I found something!" he continued, his voice a guilty whisper. He moved to put the newspaper article at the center of the table, so that Ryo and Keiko could see it.

Ryo leaned forward to look at the title of the article, furrowed his brow. "'Child Beauty Queen Disappears, Mother Murdered.'"

Nyamon flicked her ears but said nothing.

Ryo read through the article quickly, his eyes racing across the text. "On Wednesday night, tragedy struck as…" He began to mumble, words slipping out as he looked for something that might actually be useful and _didn't_ relate to the part about a dead mother. "...Kyoko Makura and her daughter Keiko… Little Miss Tokyo Pageant… hotel room... unidentified assailant abducted the child beauty queen… and left Kyoko Makura in… ah…"

Ryo couldn't finish reading. Although the newspaper didn't delve into too many gory details, even a clinically detached description of someone being stabbed and dying in a hospital later was still something that hit him hard in the stomach. It was one thing just hearing about violence and deaths in the news; it was a whole different experience when it happened to a close family member of a friend.

Ken glanced over to Keiko as his heart gave a twist. He still vividly recalled their conversation prior to Piemon's attack, and knew the complicated emotions that came when discussing the Chosen of Darkness' mother.

Though Keiko desperately tried to remain calm, her breathing grew rapid and shallow as her fingers curled almost painfully around a tuft of Nyamon's fur. Though her partner didn't react, she noticed what she was doing after a moment and shifted her grip to the library seat, the wood squeaking in protest under her white-knuckled grip.

Nyamon lifted her gaze up to Keiko. She kept her voice low, but there was an undercurrent of force that was undeniable. "It was not your fault."

Keiko skewed her eyes shut and tried to focus on her breathing, but it was a struggle to keep it even. She fought to keep calm, not for herself, but for Nyamon and her friends. Not trusting herself to speak without betraying her true feelings, she simply gave her partner a shaky nod.

Ken's expression softened before he turned to Ryo, whose face was etched with a look of concern similar to his own. "Let's see if they say anything else. Something we can actually use."

Ryo glanced between Ken and Keiko before he let out a weary sigh. While he was not privy to the conversation Ken and Keiko shared on the hilltop, he did learn enough to know that the relationship between Keiko and her late mother was… bad. It looked more and more like he was the only one blessed _not_ to have a dysfunctional family. But even if he couldn't fully understand the depths of their pain, he could at least understand there _was_ pain and be there to help them.

Turning his attention to the article, Ryo's eyes scoured the words for another clue. After a few lines, he stopped. "'Police have questioned several people of interest but have no definitive leads on a suspect responsible. Two individuals counted among the people of interest are Keiko's older brother and sister…" His eyes widened as he leaned forward excitedly. "'Jin Ryuzaki and Akane Mitsukai'!"

Ken hurried along in his reading to reach Ryo's spot, and eagerly continued with what was written. "'Efforts were made to reach out to the two siblings, but calls were not returned. Several visits were also made to the '[A Slice of Heaven]' pizzeria, a local business owned by Akane Mitsukai and her husband Mamoru Mitsukai, but the owners were unavailable for comment.'"

"'[A Slice of Heaven]'?" Ryo repeated the English words slowly, with a frown on his face. He looked hard at the newspaper. "'The pizzeria was temporarily closed due to a fire that utterly destroyed the premises back in July of the previous year. It has since been rebuilt and business hours have resumed as normal.'"

"That's it! _That's_ what we need!" Ken said excitedly. "We can go there and ask about Keiko!"

Keiko felt her heartbeat quicken at the discovery. "My sister owns a peez… what?" she asked slowly, trying to keep her voice level, her expression contorting in confusion at the bizarre word.

"Pizzeria!" Ken said, helpfully. "It's a restaurant that sells pizzas! It also sometimes has an arcade, too."

"What's a pizza?" Keiko asked.

Ken faltered at that before he gestured. "It's like an okonomiyaki, but with lots of tomato sauce!"

"Only without the cabbage, and it has cheese," Ryo said cheerfully, happy to seize on something he knew about. "My mom makes a great pepperoni pizza. She was born in America, so she knows how to make it just like they do there. It's really good."

Nyamon flicked her ears and looked up at Keiko. "That sounds good. We could get a pizza while we're there."

Keiko drew lines on the armrest with her fingers as her eyes sunk to the article, unreadable to her from her perspective across the table. "If we're welcome there, then sure."

"We will be," Nyamon said. "If we're not, I'll bust the place down worse than the fire did."

The corner of Keiko's mouth quirked upward in a crooked smile as she looked at her partner even though the suggestion stirred up too many complicated emotions for her to keep track. "Sounds good to me."

"Or we could just have some homemade pizza at my place if things don't work out," Ryo said hastily, knowing that such wanton destruction wasn't necessarily a joke with these two.

"Homemade pizza _and_ bust the place up." Nyamon said, with a nod. "Got it."

Ryo gave an awkward laugh before he turned to Ken, looking at him helplessly. The Chosen of Kindness simply shrugged with a small smile before he turned to Keiko.

"Okay, let's do it!" Ken said. "Let's go to '[A Slice of Heaven]'!"

* * *

The enormous parking lot was the first thing to greet the three children and their Digimon, with assorted cars filling it almost to the brim. The large brick building awaited them, the tinted windows concealing its interiors from prying eyes.

Ken gaped at the cars with wide eyes, holding Wormmon tightly to his chest. Given how mass transit was the more preferable choice of transportation, he could only _imagine_ the crowds that filled the restaurant. "W-wow…"

Keiko stared at the pizzeria with equally large eyes. "So this is a… pizzeria." The idea that she was staring at her sister's business was surreal, but it was nerve-wracking above all else. The building itself served as a physical reminder that she was actually doing this - that she might actually meet her siblings again after so long.

More than that, she was coming face to face with the answer of whether or not they would even still want her after what she had done.

Ryo glanced at Ken and Keiko with a smile. "Let's go in and ask around."

"Right!" Ken said, with a bright smile.

Keiko hesitated before she gave a numb nod of her head.

As the three children and their Digimon entered the pizzeria, they were immediately assaulted by music, laughter, and the scent of freshly cooked pizza. The restaurant was just as packed as the parking lot had implied, with dozens of arcade games of every shape and size filling up the main area while tables lined the walls as they provided a place to eat for its patrons. There were several private rooms in the back, for those willing to pay for privacy, but the vast majority settled for the public areas as they dined and played.

"Look at all the games!" Ken said, with amazement clear in his voice.

"This smell… it must be pizza," Nyamon said softly as she gave a sniff of the air. "It smells good."

"It does," Wormmon agreed as he breathed deep, mouth watering.

"Yeah, freshly baked pizza is great," Ryo said, cheerfully. "It's making me hungry."

Despite the tantalizing aromas and her empty stomach, Keiko didn't feel hungry in the slightest, as her insides twisted themselves into knots. She looked past the flashing lights and interesting game machines to the people that were everywhere, searching for any sign of a familiar face. She had only met her siblings once years ago; she wasn't even confident she remembered what they looked like.

Every second Keiko waited, tense anticipation just made her feel weaker. She hated it. "Let's just get this over with."

Taking a deep breath to gather her courage, Keiko strode towards the main counter, ignoring the line of people waiting to order something off the glossy menu hanging on the wall behind cheerful employees.

Ken noticed Keiko moving and hurried after her, carrying Wormmon as he went, with Ryo trailing immediately behind.

Keiko ignored the annoyed glares the other customers gave as she reached the counter and slapped her hand down, interrupting the man at the front before he could finish his order. "I want to speak with the owner."

The cashier paused as she looked at Keiko, before her eyes turned to Nyamon. She gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, we don't allow cats in the building-"

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not a cat, isn't it?" Nyamon asked as she stared right back at the cashier, who jerked as her eyes widened.

Ken jerked and turned to stare at Nyamon, then anxiously glanced around as people stopped to stare at the talking cat with open confusion. While he hadn't initially thought anything of it, the increasing attention made him feel incredibly exposed and he began to wonder if perhaps they _should_ have shown a bit more caution with the Digimon. "E-eh…"

"Huh?" the cashier stared at Nyamon, her expression going blank.

"Jin Ryuzaki or Akane Mitsukai," Nyamon said as she held the woman's gaze, completely unperturbed that other people were staring at her. "Are they here?"

"My name is Keiko Makura," Keiko said, though using her mother's family name felt like putting on an old bloodstained dress that had been buried in the garbage of a cemetary for years. "Jin Ryuzaki and Akane Mitsukai are my older brother and sister. I'm here to see them."

The cashier hesitated before she gave an awkward smile. "O-one moment, please!" She quickly bowed in apology to the other customers, who were no longer even paying attention to her or Keiko as they gawked at the talking cat, before she hurried into the back.

Nyamon watched as the woman rushed off, then turned to meet the gazes of the other customers. " _Cat_ got your tongue?"

The customers jerked before quickly looking away, doing their best to appear as if they weren't paying the Digimon any more attention - even though their side-eying glances proved the exact opposite.

Nyamon snorted as she gave a snap of her tail. "I thought as much."

The cashier returned fairly quickly, rushing over to the counter. With her came another woman, who looked far less flustered than the first. The second woman, who looked to be a manager, met Keiko with a smile.

"I apologize," the manager said, as the cashier hurried to help the other customers. "Mr. and Mrs. Mitsukai are not currently in at the moment, but they should return shortly. Would you mind waiting in a private room in the meantime?"

"A private room sounds like a good idea," Ryo said as he watched the customers around them, who had trouble focusing on their own business as they kept giving Nyamon - and Wormmon, to some extent - the eye.

Keiko met the new employee's gaze unflinchingly, all too aware of how humans might react to Digimon. However, it was the concern that these strangers might contact the _other_ relatives of her mother that kept her insides tense as a coiled spring. Although she had been left unaware of her father and siblings, she had interacted with more than enough of her extended family to know that the Makura family tree was rotten. "As long as it's Akane coming, I'll wait."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Mitsukai will certainly be here soon," the woman said, with a bright smile. "While you wait, why don't you try one of our pizzas? It's on the house."

"Sure," Keiko said before finally glancing back at Ryo and nodding her head towards the counter.

It took Ryo a moment to get the hint. "Oh! Uh, we'll take a large half-pepperoni, half-cheese." He paused for a moment as he looked at his friends, especially the Digimon. with an awkward chuckle. "That way you can all try what it's like with and without extra toppings so when we order more, you'll have a better idea what it tastes like when you want to try other toppings."

Keiko nodded before she turned her gaze back to the employee. "We'll have that and soda."

"Of course," the woman said, brightly. She turned to another employee and nodded, who quickly returned the gesture before hurrying out from behind the counter to guide the children to their room.

As the trio followed after the woman, only Narakumon lingered behind, in his ephemeral state. Being little more than a ghost to all but Keiko allowed him to keep his gaze on the woman, watching her through narrowed eyes. He observed the woman remove a slip of paper from her pocket, along with a cellphone. As she flipped the cellphone open, she looked down at the piece of paper as she unfolded it, revealing a missing persons poster with Keiko's face on it.

Narakumon's expression darkened as he glared at the woman, then hurried after Keiko to join her in the private room. He'd give them a chance, an _opportunity_ to prove his suspicions wrong. But if they proved him right, he would make them pay for it.

There would be nothing left to rebuild.

* * *

Ken munched happily on his piece of pizza, rocking back and forth in his chair. "It's so good~!" He turned to smile at his partner. "Isn't it, Wormmon?"

Wormmon nodded, unable to speak through the piece of pizza crammed halfway in his mouth.

"I'd say that's a 'yes'," Ryo said with a grin as he carefully took another slice of pizza from the large plate resting between them on the center of the table. "This might be just as good as my mom's pizza."

Nyamon sat beside Keiko, carefully eating her own slice with her gauntlets. "We should make Bokomon learn how to make this."

Keiko nodded with a quiet grunt in the affirmative as she poked at her slice with fork and knife before taking a nibble at a time. Although her nerves wouldn't allow her to feel hungry, she couldn't deny that the food tasted good.

Narakumon kept his eyes firmly on the front door as he stood behind Keiko, his arms crossed. He was tense, waiting for the other foot to drop, as he stood guard over his Chosen Child. He had more freedom to do so, as none of the patrons or employees could see him as he watched them with the eyes of a paranoid hawk.

It gave him the best vantage point to watch as a man in a slick black suit and matching shades burst through the front door, nearly stumbling over himself. While the outfit was enough to confirm the DigiGod's suspicions, his behavior didn't fit what Narakumon would expect from a police officer coming to capture Keiko. It was the only reason that the DigiGod of Darkness didn't immediately react, instead watching as the man struggled to catch himself, brushing back his black hair after it had become dislodged in his stumble.

Narakumon watched as the man hurried over to the register, where the manager greeted him before pointing towards the private room - Keiko's private room. The DigiGod narrowed his eyes as he searched the man's face for any malice, any _hint_ of a threat, before he gave a start and stared as the man lowered his shades.

The man's eyes were a shade of red that Narakumon knew far too well.

Narakumon's eyebrows shot straight up. " _Keiko_ -"

Narakumon didn't get a chance to finish before the man rushed across the restaurant towards the private room, practically shoving people aside with a single-minded focus. With a bang, the man threw open the door, in a blind panic that had no time for politeness or pleasantries. "Keiko!?"

Keiko jerked in surprise, along with the rest of her friends. She dropped her utensils, which clattered noisily against the plate and table as she rose to her feet, with Nyamon immediately moving in front of her in a defensive stance. Uncertain what to expect, but wary of the worst possibility, she stared the stranger down as calmly as her tense insides would allow. "That's me."

The man stared at Keiko, freezing in place. He stood there for several moments, looking over her as if his red eyes were trying to bore a hole right into her. Then, just when it seemed like the silence would suffocate them all, the man stumbled forward to grab Keiko before pulling her into a tight hug, not even caring about Nyamon's posturing or the little girl's surprise. "T-thank _god_ … you're _alive_..."

Time stopped for Keiko as she stood stiffly in the man's arms, at a loss. The reaction was not what she expected, but it told her immediately who this person hugging her must have been, though she could scarcely believe that he cared for her, a _stranger_ so much. It took her nearly a minute before she could finally force out one tiny, tentative word. "Jin…?"

"I was so certain," Jin whispered, his voice shaking with emotion as he held Keiko in a vice. "That she had killed you… that she had made you disappear… just like Father. Because we tried to take you. That she'd rather see you dead… than...!" A shudder ran through his body. "That we were going to find you in pieces…!"

Keiko felt as though the air was thick as syrup as her arms moved sluggishly to return the hug. Jin was so much larger than her that she couldn't reach all the way around his chest, and her feet weren't even touching the floor after he swept her up in an embrace. The age difference was vast, at least ten years if not more, which was one of the biggest reasons why she doubted him and Akane when they took her. Now, seeing him in tears, holding her with a powerful yet trembling grip that spoke of fear, fear for _her_ safety, despite the fact that they only had that one day together… It made her regret running away from them all the more.

Narakumon watched the exchange with no small amount of jealousy. He wanted to bristle, to assert his own importance to Keiko, but he managed to resist. The moment was important to Keiko, and he wasn't about to ruin it.

The DigiGod of Darkness wasn't the only one watching with some jealousy. Ken felt his heart go out to Keiko, and he felt happy to see her being accepted, but he couldn't help a small part of him that wished _he_ had gotten a similar reunion with _his_ family.

The Chosen of Kindness imagined this was the difference between having a family that wanted you and one that didn't.

Ken gave a small shake of his head before he stood up, getting out of the table. He carefully picked up Wormmon before he turned to Ryo, dropping his voice into a whisper. "Let's give them a moment... "

Ryo managed to tear his eyes away from the scene to give his friend a small nod. "You're right." Glancing back at Keiko before turning to Nyamon, who gave them an acknowledging nod, Ryo quietly crept over to the door of the private room and held it open for the smaller boy. Once Ken slipped out into the arcade itself, Ryo followed and closed the door behind him.

Jin paid no mind to the two boys as they left, instead solely focused on Keiko. He shook his head as he struggled to control himself, without much success.

"I'm not…," Jin said, his voice still breaking. "I _won't_ let you leave my sight again. _Never_ again..."

"I killed Mother," Keiko said quietly in a low, hollow tone once the boys were long gone. She hadn't meant to say it, not now, not so bluntly, but she couldn't hold it back. "I wanted to see you and Akane again, and she… she…!"

Jin paused at that before he tightened his grip again. "It was her own fault." He let out a rough chuckle that carried no amusement. "Compared to what I would have done to her… she got off lucky."

A shaky hitch of breath escaped Keiko as her eyes grew moist. "I'm sorry," she said, far more weakly than she intended, and she tried again to say it loud and sincere, but the words were more like a pleading sob. "I'm sorry!"

Jin closed his eyes as he continued to hold Keiko close, one hand drifting up to reassuringly stroke the back of her head. "There's nothing for you to apologize over. You did nothing wrong."

"I believed her," Keiko whimpered. "Mother said people who'd take me would say anything to get me to believe them, so I thought you were liars. Mother said you only wanted to hurt and kill me so you'd say anything, but Miyomi… She… she was one of my nannies… the only person who actually cared about me in that place. She… she told me the truth… I thought you'd hate me for running away when I found out the truth after it was too late. I thought… I thought…"

"That's _her_ fault," Jin said, softly. "You were far too young, far too innocent to know any better. She wouldn't have _let_ you know any better."

"I'm sorry," Keiko repeated over and over. "If it wasn't for me, Father would still be… and Miyomi… and…"

" _No_ ," Jin said, firmly as he gave a shake of his head, causing his cheek to rub against hers. "Father…. and Miyomi… the only one who has to answer for them is _her_. You had no control over what happened."

Keiko squeezed fistfuls of Jin's suit. "I could've fought Mother before it happened. When she… when her hands were on my throat… when everything was going black, that was when… I had the scissors in my hand. Before that I never even considered… When I cut my hair she… when I told her I wanted to see you and Akane and… and she…"

"If you had, she would've killed you too," Jin said softly. "It wouldn't have saved them, only taken you with them."

Keiko buried her face against Jin's chest, muffling her words. "I wished I never ran away over and over… and even after what I did to her… I didn't even try to find you or Akane. I thought you both hated me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Jin continued to stroke Keiko's hair, his own eyes moist as he held his little sister and allowed her to cry against him. "You're here now. That's what matters - you're here and you're _safe_."

"Papa… Narakumon saved me," Keiko managed after choking back another sob. "If it wasn't for him taking me to the Digital World and giving me Nyamon to protect me… for taking me in as his daughter… I'd still be…" The words tapered off as she thought back to that day when she first arrived in the Digital World. She couldn't even articulate how deep the pit of despair was around her on all sides.

Jin paused at that before he furrowed his brow. He opened his eyes and glanced over to Nyamon, who was staring at him steadily with her piercing eyes. He had no idea what Keiko was talking about, but it didn't take a genius to know that the talking cat he had been told about had something to do with it. "Then I owe him and Nyamon everything."

" _Damn right you do_ ," Narakumon said, his voice rough with emotion as he looked away, knowing Jin couldn't hear him.

"If you want to thank us, then you need to take care of Keiko," Nyamon said, simply.

Jin paused at that before he cracked a small smile in the face of such strangeness as a talking cat that stood on two legs and wore gauntlets. "I would do that regardless."

Keiko took shaky, deep breaths, trying to calm down, but her eyes were still overflowing with tears. "Nyamon is my partner, my best friend, and Narakumon is my papa now, and Tenraimon my mama." She hesitated for a moment. "But… I still want to be your sister too."

Jin turned his attention to Keiko as he gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, you're in luck - you _are_ my sister."

Keiko wiped her eyes with her sleeve and finally looked Jin in the eye, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "Good, then that means… that means you can't ever tell me to get rid of Nyamon, or that Narakumon and Tenraimon aren't my papa and mama, or tell me not to help the Digital World or save our world!"

"That'd be pretty piss-poor gratitude, wouldn't it?" Jin said, with an amused smile. "I admit, I don't understand half of what you're saying… or why or _how_ there's a talking cat here, but… I can at least understand that I owe them far more than I could ever repay for saving you."

"This is Nyamon," Keiko said as she finally turned her head down to look at the feline. "You can't see him, but Narakumon is here too."

Narakumon nodded sharply as he glared down at Jin, for all the good that it did the DigiGod.

Jin paused at that and looked around the room, furrowing his brow, before deciding to settle his attention on the Digimon he _could_ see - Nyamon. "Pleased to meet you, Narakumon… Nyamon. I am Ryuzaki, Jin. Thank you for saving my sister."

" _I didn't do it for_ _ **you**_ ," Narakumon retorted, stiffly.

Nyamon smiled at Jin. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. And again, and again, and again."

Jin smiled back and was about to respond when he was cut off by the sound of a loud _bang_ \- though it was rather muffled thanks to the door of the private room. He glanced up and through the window of the door just in time to see a woman rush in, carrying a blonde-haired baby in her arms.

Jin's smile widened as he watched the woman get directed towards the private room, then turned his attention back to the startled Keiko. "Well, I hope you're ready for more crying, because here comes round two."

The woman was taller than most of her gender, her height equal to Jin's. Though she looked smart in a floral patterned blouse with dark pants, her long black hair was fraying loose from the braided bun she wove it in earlier. Her red eyes were wide and wild as she sought out Jin first before her gaze settled on the young girl in his arms. "Keiko!"

The handoff happened too fast for Keiko to keep track of the woman's movements. Before she could guess that this must have been her sister, Akane, she was scooped up into another heartfelt embrace as Jin was left suddenly cradling a little baby who watched the scene with curious lavender eyes.

"Oh my God, Keiko!" Akane cried as she spun Keiko around in her arms. "It's really you! You're alive!" She paused mid-rotation to give her little sister a scrutinizing gaze. "Did that witch hurt you? Do we need to get doctors? I have the best on speed dial."

Keiko took a moment to gather her bearings. "I'm… fine. My friend Higashi healed me a long time ago, so don't call anyone."

Akane let out a sigh of relief before beaming as her eyes watered. "Oh, Keiko… I'm so glad you're safe. We never stopped trying to find you."

Keiko hesitated. "Not even after I… ran away from you?"

Akane pulled Keiko against her. " _Never_. That was our fault for not thinking about how scared and confused you were. We just tried even harder after that."

"I'm sorry," Keiko whimpered as she felt a fresh wave of tears coming.

Akane gently shushed Keiko as she rubbed her little sister's back in slow, soothing circles. "Hush. Don't think for a minute we blamed you for getting scared. We grew up scared because of that witch too." Sadness cast a shadow over her eyes. "And we were scared of Daddy when he saved us too."

Keiko jerked her head up. "What?"

"The three of us," Akane said with a wan smile, "we were all under the spell of lies spewed by an evil witch. For Jin and me, we were taught to be scared of Daddy like he was a demon from hell, and Daddy had no idea what she was doing to us. It took us a long time to really trust him, so don't feel like there's something wrong with you if it takes you a long time to trust us too, okay?"

"I…" Keiko fumbled for words, but they refused to come. All the times she thought of her siblings, even in her guiltiest moments, she never considered that once upon a time they were just like her, brainwashed into believing their entire existence revolved around a secretly selfish and cruel woman.

"Exactly. So don't think for a moment that you have anything to apologize over," Jin said as he gently rocked the little baby in his arms, then smiled down at the baby. "Isn't that right, Sera~?"

The baby let out a coo as her little arms reached up to paw at Jin's shades with little success.

Keiko finally focused on the baby for the first time. "That baby…?"

Akane's face lit up as she set Keiko down onto the floor. "Keiko, allow me to introduce you to your niece, my daughter Sera."

"Niece…?" Keiko repeated distantly as Jin held the infant out towards her. The baby's big purple eyes gazed back at her, wide and innocent. With a happy squeal, Sera reached her hands out for Keiko…

And yanked hard on a tiny fistful of black hair.

Keiko yelped at the unexpected jerk of her hair and scalp as Sera giggled.

"Whoopsie!" Akane said, setting Keiko down before she gently pried the lock of hair from her daughter's fingers before Sera decided to pull again. "No, no, Sera." She gently scooped Sera back into her arms and gave Keiko an apologetic smile. "Sorry, she's just loves long hair."

Keiko rubbed at her scalp as she stared at the infant, gobsmacked. "You… had a baby?"

"She's not the only one," Jin said, cheerfully. "I've got my own daughter as well~!"

"We'll introduce you to her," Akane said. "And to your brother and sister in-laws, and all the rest of your family. You have a lot of people here who have been wanting to meet you and welcome you for a long time, Keiko."

The isolation of the Makura house came back to Keiko, of the large extended family of people just like her mother who lived there, but always kept their distance; whether it was because they didn't like her or more of that woman's manipulations, she had no idea, but it didn't really matter. The idea of meeting more people, of being welcomed by countless smiling faces was overwhelming.

Yet, it reminded Keiko of the first time she arrived at the Digital World.

Out of the corner of her eye, Keiko saw Narakumon smile too, placing a hand on her shoulder that only she could see and feel. Nyamon pressed up against her side, confident with a wide grin.

Finally, Keiko looked back at her siblings and smiled without restraint. "I can't wait to meet them… to meet more of my family."

For the first time since Keiko returned to Earth, she finally felt as though she had a place to belong.


	32. Chapter 32

The tension in the Ichijouji house was thick, lingering like a dark storm that had long since worn out its welcome. None felt the brunt of the pressure more than Osamu as he sat in the room he shared with his little brother. Even as he tried to type away at the computer, the tension felt suffocating, distracting him from what he was _attempting_ to accomplish. Every so often, he glanced over to his brother, the source of the intense strain on his heart.

Ken sat in front of the balcony, his back to Osamu as he stared out into the city beyond. It would have seemed like innocent wistfulness, if the eldest child didn't know it for what it really was - a purposeful snub. Ken wasn't even bothering with the homework that sit on the floor scattered about him, all of it discarded as the Chosen of Kindness focused out the balcony window.

With a heavy sigh, Osamu saved his work and shut his computer down. He couldn't accept the atmosphere between him and his little brother, especially after he spent so many days fearing the worst. He was too harsh on Ken, he knew that; even if it was for a good reason, his gentle and kind little brother was too soft, and such brutality after seeing horrors he could only speculate about in that world of monsters clearly took their toll.

For the days following Ken's return, Osamu wavered between emotional peaks and valleys, but throughout it all he quietly wished that things would go back to the way they were before, when he could spend the scant moments of outside of work and study to play with his little brother.

Normally, after every fight between them, it was Ken who brokered the peace. For as angry and rigid as Osamu could get, somehow the kindness of his little brother was always enough to gently lower his guard.

That didn't happen this time.

Osamu found himself utterly at a loss where to start and spent several minutes just staring at a blank computer screen. He had done the right thing; he wasn't wrong, but he wanted them to stop fighting. He wanted his little brother back.

Eventually, Osamu cleared his throat, then again a little louder when he noticed that failed to catch any attention. "Ken?"

Ken was silent for a moment, long enough for it to seem like he wouldn't answer. Just before Osamu was about to try again, the Chosen of Kindness spoke without turning to face his brother. "What do you want."

" _My brother back,"_ Osamu thought, but fortunately his mind, as always, moved quicker than his mouth. Instead, he chose something else to say, something that he knew needed to be _perfect_ or this tension would never end. "I'm taking a break. Do you want to play that new game dad got for us?"

"You mean the game he got for _you_?" Ken asked, with no small amount of sharpness in his voice. "Dad doesn't buy _me_ things, he buys _you_ things, and I get them when you're bored of them and don't want them anymore."

Even on a good day, Osamu couldn't argue that fact, and this most certainly was _not_ a good day. After spending a moment swiveling in his chair, he tried a more tactful approach instead, as he opened a desk drawer. "If you want it, you can have it. I haven't even taken the shrinkwrap off, so it's still brand new."

After a little bit of searching, Osamu found the game in question, one of the hottest new releases that he knew Ken had been dying to play since it was hyped in advertising months ago. He showed the pristine game box for his little brother's inspection, extending his arm while hoping a game he knew they both wanted could substitute for an olive branch.

Ken paused before he finally turned about to face Osamu. He looked down at the game before he lifted his gaze to Osamu's face. "What I _want_ is for you to stop trying to keep me from my friends."

Osamu flinched, but tried to mitigate his reaction. He suspected this would be the response, but he had been hoping Ken secretly wanted peace just as much as he did. With a sigh, he set the game down and leaned back in his chair. "If you're talking about Akiyama… then I guess. Maybe."

Just conceding that much was painful. He had been pointedly ignoring and avoiding Ryo at school despite the many attempts the other boy made to talk to him about the situation.

"I mean _all_ of them," Ken said, sharply. "Including Wormmon - _especially_ Wormmon."

There it was. Osamu had dreaded this, but also expected it. Ken just couldn't give up on the idea of being a hero, of having some magical pet or familiar that could whisk him off for adventures in another world, no matter how dangerous it was. No matter what _real_ agendas these monsters had for such an innocent and gentle boy to fight in _their_ wars.

It took Osamu a while to respond, as bile built at the back of his throat and threatened to burst out to savagely rip into all the monsters that nearly killed his little brother, but he swallowed the acid even as it burned his insides. He knew yelling wouldn't work this time, not after how spectacularly it had failed before.

"Ken," Osamu finally managed, wincing at the way his brother's name came out far harsher than he intended. He tried again, desperately trying to grasp some of Ken's natural gentleness that had been absent for these many days. "Ken, I know that whatever happened over there in that other world probably made you feel special, like a hero, but you're eight years old. You're a kid. _We're_ kids. We're not supposed to be fighting wars; we're supposed to be going to school and playing!"

"You _don't_ know what happened in the other world," Ken said, his eyes boring into Osamu's. "So you have no business trying to tell me that nothing I did mattered."

"I didn't say that," Osamu said quickly. "The fact that these monsters want you so badly means something, but I don't think what matters to you matters to _them_."

"Protecting our world matters to me," Ken replied. "Which is what they _also_ want."

Osamu ran his hand across his face and took in a long hissing breath between his fingers. "Okay, Ken, I will concede that much." He slowly set his hands down onto the armrests of his chair. "I _don't_ know what happened during the week you were gone - when you _were in a coma_ \- because _you won't tell me_. But you want to know what I _do_ know? I know _no one told me_ about it. What I knew was that for every minute you were missing, you were spending a _day_ in a world full of monsters that want to kill you, who _kidnapped_ you and Akiyama against your will."

Osamu made a vague gesture in the air. "For the sake of this conversation, I'll accept the idea that there really are at least _two_ factions of monsters in this world, and the side that _didn't_ try to kill you was the one that recruited you. I'll even, for the sake of argument, accept that they didn't _intend_ to kill you." He redirected his hand to point it at Ken. "That doesn't change the fact that they decided that it didn't matter if I spent the past week scared that you were _dead._ Even families of veterans at war get told when something bad happens to the people fighting!"

Ken felt a twinge, as among all of Osamu's complaints, the last one was the only legitimate one. Still, he wasn't about to let it go unanswered. "We were used to there being a time distortion. It should've only been minutes, not days. We've been doing this for so long that we just didn't think of it."

Osamu extended a second finger. "So why didn't _they_ , your monster friends, who were _not_ in a coma contact me? Or bring me to see you? Or give a _damn_ that there might be people back home who'd miss you if you _died_!"

"They don't communicate with humans normally, especially people who aren't Chosen Children," Ken said with a shake of his head.

"Not even family members of their _child soldiers_?" Osamu snapped with more resentment than he intended.

Ken's cheek twitched, but he tried to keep his temper _somewhat_ in check. "They don't want to make things more complicated for us than necessary, especially given that people might have trouble accepting them or their existence." He narrowed his eyes as he gave Osamu a pointed look. " _Like now_."

These monsters were good, Osamu noted with no small amount of resentment. They knew just what to say to sway Ken to their side; not unlike a cult's recruitment. He needed to research how to break cult brainwashing to see how it could be undone, but for now, he needed to focus on bridging the gap between them.

Swallowing a snide remark, Osamu instead took a number of measured breaths as he adjusted his tactics slightly. "I don't trust anyone involved with you getting hurt. Especially if they don't tell me about it. You might trust these monsters, but I don't. I _can't_ until they prove to _me_ that they actually _do_ care about you."

Osamu held up a hand to cut off argument he knew was coming. " _But_. But… If it's without any of those monsters, I'll stop arguing with you about spending time with Akiyama again."

Ken's eyes narrowed as he clenched his jaw so tightly it made his teeth hurt. His anger was swelling up inside him again, burning hot as it melted what little self-control he had left. As always, Osamu made it about _himself_ \- what _he_ wanted, what _he_ felt, earning _his_ trust, proving it to _him_. The boy genius, without fail, could never see past his own nose to see that not _everything_ had to be about _Osamu Ichijouji_.

"Without me," Osamu finally added, forcing the words out. He hated making such a concession, but he _needed_ more information, and this was the only way he could get it. "I'll let you see this monster, Wormmon, only if it's in _our_ world, and _only_ if I go with you. I have a few questions for him anyway."

"Why, so you can try and kill him again?" Ken asked, his voice like a hiss through his clenched teeth.

Osamu didn't miss a beat. "Not unless he tries to hurt you or me."

"I don't believe you," Ken growled. The vision of Osamu trying to throw Wormmon from the balcony was one that was burned forever into his mind.

Osamu dug his fingers into the armrests rather than into his face as he tried desperately to keep his temper in check. This wasn't Ken he was talking to right now, he had to remind himself. This was weeks, perhaps months, of conditioning from a bunch of strangers with dubious agendas in a war zone full of monsters.

After one more deep breath to help clear his head, Osamu forced his body to unclench. "Alright. I'm not sure how I can get you to believe me there, so I won't meet with this Wormmon, but until I do, I can't trust him, so I can't just let you see him either. I won't let him take you to that world again. I won't let you almost get _killed_ again!"

Ken barely bit back a barb, and his tongue in the process. As something ugly formed in his throat, he heard the words of his friends - of Ryo, Higashi, and Bokomon encouraging him to try and make peace with his family. They were the only family he had, after all. Things might have seemed bad at the moment, but surely they were just doing it out of love and not malice - at least, that's what kept repeating in his head. It was just ignorance.

Even a supposed genius could be _ignorant_.

Ken took a deep breath through his nose before he exhaled, closing his eyes. He tried to think of it as expelling all the wound up anger he felt, pushing it out of his body so that he could keep his cool in spite of his brother's pigheadedness. He then turned his back to Osamu, returning his attention to the balcony. "Please leave me alone."

Osamu let out a sigh of frustration at his failure. "Look, Ken, I know it must've been exciting in that other world, but can't you see there's something _really messed up_ about a bunch of monsters with super powers asking a kid to fight for them?"

"I asked you nicely," Ken said, forcing his voice to stay even. He didn't trust himself to say much more, especially not after his last outburst. The fact that Osamu kept pushing wasn't making it any easier. "Please leave me alone."

Groaning, Osamu placed his hand on his head. "Ken…" He faltered, struggling to come up with _something_ that would pierce through this uncharacteristic stubborn streak his little brother displayed, but nothing seemed to be working. "Okay. Fine. If you won't talk to me about this, then at least just promise me that you'll only see friends who're _human_. Can you at least do that much for me?"

Ken didn't respond. He _couldn't_ respond, as it was a promise that he would never make. It was agreeing to never see Wormmon or the rest of his friends, and it was just a promise he wasn't willing to make.

Osamu sighed, slumped in his chair with his palm over his face. He was done. He had nothing left. All he had to offer was the game, which he blindly fumbled for before holding it out to his side, no longer looking at Ken. "Here. You can have this. Keep it. Throw it away. I don't care."

Ken glanced back at his brother. He didn't want to take the game, but found himself doing it anyway. Silently, the Chosen of Kindness headed to the doorway and slipped out of their room in to the hallway. He stopped to close the door behind him, but paused as he heard Osamu speak one last time.

"Just…," Osamu faltered for a moment. "I just don't want you to get hurt again. You're my only brother, you know."

Ken hesitated before he closed the door. He took a few steps before leaned back against the wall. He hung his head, staring down at the game in his hand. Whatever enjoyment he might have gotten out of it was completely tainted, as the mere sight of it made his stomach churn.

"Then why…." Ken murmured, to himself. "Why do you keep treating me like this…?"


	33. Chapter 33

The rhythmic clicking of keys and mouse were the only things to break up the monotonous silence in the bedroom, aside from the occasional weary sigh. Ryo tried not to look back at his bed, where Wormmon lay sprawled on his back, staring at the clock. The books, snacks, and portable gaming system Ryo had given him to entertain himself lay scattered around him, now ignored in favor of watching time pass.

Ryo glanced at his computer clock to verify the time and let out a chuckle that was far too forced for his taste. "I know you're excited, Wormmon, but the cherry blossoms will still be there even if we have to wait an extra hour."

"I know," Wormmon muttered as he focused intently at the long hand of the clock as it diligently ticked to the next minute. "Ken-chan is only late because he must be spending time with his family. Maybe things are getting better between them and they're all doing something fun."

Ryo could practically hear Wormmon's unspoken "without me" at the end. He tried his best to remain optimistic, however, and flashed the Digimon a smile. "Yeah, that's probably it. Maybe Ken and Osamu are playing a video game together."

Wormmon nodded with a quiet hum. "Yeah… I hope Ken-chan is having fun." An awkward silence settled in until the minute hand moved forward one more small increment. "Though, I hope Ken-chan will get here soon too."

"Don't worry about it," Ryo said, swiveling in his chair to fully face Wormmon. "Hey, you know what'd help us pass the time while we wait? A nice game of-"

The laptop monitor suddenly flared with a golden light, outshining the sun spilling in from the windows outside. Ryo jerked back with a cry of alarm and shielded his eyes while Wormmon rushed forward blindly to defend his friend. Ryo barely had a moment of deja vu before the light engulfed them both.

When the light was gone, the room was empty, and the laptop shut down completely.

* * *

While the room was officially stated to belong to both Osamu and Ken, there was an unspoken understanding that it was Osamu's room first and foremost. When the eldest Ichijouji needed to study, it went without saying that Ken was to vacate the room and make himself as scarce as possible so as to not bother Osamu in his important work.

The fact that Osamu was _always_ studying was irrelevant.

Osamu typed away at the computer, his eyes focused intently on the screen. He ignored everything else, his attention entirely devoted to his work. He was so focused that, when the screen suddenly shifted to the face of an unfamiliar blond-haired man with angelic wings, it completely disrupted both his train of thought and his balance, causing the eldest Ichijouji child to cry out as he fell backwards right out of his chair and onto the floor, taking his keyboard with him.

"Ken!" Higashi said, desperately. "Ken, are you there?"

"What the hell!?" Osamu shouted, gawking at the angel on his computer screen.

Higashi stared down at Osamu, then furrowed his brow before he craned his neck to look for the younger Ichijouji. He hesitated, before finally addressing the only child before him. "Is Ken not home?"

"Who the hell are you!?" Osamu sputtered, pointing at Higashi. "And how the hell did you hack into my computer!?"

Higashi hesitated before he glanced off screen, his expression uneasy. After a moment of deliberation, he sighed heavily and returned his attention to Osamu. "I am Higashi. I am… a Digimon, and a friend of your younger brother."

Osamu was on his feet in an instant, quaking with rage. " _You_!"

Higashi didn't bother to hide his exasperation, as Osamu reacted precisely as he expected. "So you will not tell me where Ken is? Or do you simply not know?"

Osamu clenched his fists so tight that his fingernails bit into his skin. "Why the hell do you want Ken so badly? Go target some other kid who doesn't know any better and leave my brother alone!"

Higashi looked at Osamu in silence for several moments, then sighed. "I'm sorry, but I really don't have time for this. If Ken isn't there, I need to find him."

"For what?" Osamu demanded. "To throw him at monsters? To put him in another coma? To shove more lies down his throat that he's some sort of 'hero'?! He can't even stand up to kids his own age, and you're feeding him anime _garbage_ about being some sort of chosen one who'll save the world!"

Higashi grimaced and was about to retort when a pen-click interrupted him. He turned to his side and stared as Zennyu suddenly took over the screen, glaring hard at Osamu.

"Considering your world _will_ be destroyed if we don't reach him, I would say that qualifies him as a hero - as a _Chosen Child_." Zennyu said, his tone sharp. "Your lack of faith in him is _your_ issue, and yours alone."

Though taken aback by the appearance of the darker, much more intimidating angel, Osamu continued to glare at the screen. The words stung, especially in the wake of the rift that had grown between him and Ken, but he shook them off as the manipulations of a kidnapper with sinister intent. "Why the hell should I believe either of you?"

Zennyu clicked his pen and a small screen suddenly appeared in the corner of the monitor, like a video feed. In it, Osamu saw a strange white void filled with what appeared to be metal beams jutting out in all directions, like a chaotic construction zone. In that void, several creatures fought one another - a large spindly beast that looked like a demonic marionette against four combatants. At that moment, a small orange dinosaur and furred beast-like dinosaur were glowing with light just as the screen settled on them.

"If you do not believe words, then will you believe your own eyes?" Zennyu asked, his words cutting. He didn't bother to wait for a response. "An enemy has invaded your world and is currently wreaking havoc. They are targeting the other Chosen Children and has already leaked their information all across the world. They have hijacked nearly all electronic devices in your city - _crippling_ your ability to communicate. If nothing is done, then you, and everyone you deem important, are at risk of death."

Osamu stared at the screen, as the angel's words faded into nothing more than background noise. Instead, he was focused on the way the smaller of the creatures began to glow before changing. Before his very eyes, the diminutive dinosaur and beast were gone and in their place were two behemoths - a cybernetic wolf and a humanoid dinosaur covered in armor.

Realization dawned, and with it a sick feeling within the pit of his stomach. His impression of Wormmon had been that these 'Digimon' were actually quite small, _manageable_. The greatest threat seemed to be from their manipulation and the magical attack abilities Ken described to him. Their transformations added a whole new variable he hadn't been expecting. This was only confirmed by the presence of two more small creatures - a beetle and flying hamster-pig hybrid - underwent their own metamorphosis into larger, far more imposing monsters.

Digimon might have started out small and diminutive, but could change their forms, becoming horrific beasts. If this ability was a common trait for these creatures, then there was little doubt that the insect that Ken claimed to be his partner had it as well. Visions of a massive centipede rampaging through the city filled Osamu's mind, making his blood run cold.

"T-this is…" Osamu muttered.

"The other Chosen Children are currently fighting the enemy responsible, but they're in dire need of assistance," Higashi said as he shoved his head back in to view, brushing up against Zennyu in the process. "We need Ken to find Keiko so she may help them." He then grimaced. "We can't do it ourselves. She is currently away from all electronics, making it impossible for us to reach her."

When Osamu didn't immediately respond, the two angels glanced at each other. They shared a long look before returning their attention to the human child as he gaped at the screen, the fight continuing onward before his very eyes.

"Osamu?" Higashi asked, tentatively. "Are you listening?"

"M-monsters…," Osamu said, his voice hoarse. "You really are _monsters_!"

Zennyu fixed Osamu with a deadpan stare before he gave a click of his pen.

Higashi furrowed his brow, then let out a resigned sigh. He didn't verbally respond, instead immediately cutting the communication and reverting Osamu's screen back the way it was before, save for the live video feed that continued to stream the fight in the corner. While they had no doubt made things more difficult for Ken in their attempts to appeal to his brother, they didn't have time to concern themselves over it. They were rapidly running out of time.

Osamu slumped in his chair as he continued to watch the fight after the angels left him alone, moving only to enlarge the window to get a better view of the madness. As the demonic marionette abused and tormented the other Digimon, completely pulverizing two of them, all he could think of was Wormmon - the creature that had wormed its way into Ken's life, and heart.

"I should have killed it when I had the chance…," Osamu muttered.

* * *

Ken did his best to keep his expression neutral, trying not to show the irritation that he felt. He shifted weight between his legs, his hands holding two grocery bags apiece filled with food and whatever items his mother had dragged him out to buy. The fact that he was late to meet up with his friends because of her loitering only added salt to the wound.

If it had been just the trip itself, it wouldn't have been so bad. But unfortunately, it was never that easy - not when there was gossip to be had.

Yui stood in a small circle of housewives, giggling at the latest bit of scandalous information. "He _didn't!_ "

"It's true, I swear!" one wife said. "An entire box right under their bed! Can you believe it?"

"I can't believe she never noticed," Yui said, covering her mouth.

Another wife gave a shifty sideways look. "Well, if you ask me, it's not surprising after hearing her complain so much about his performance the past couple years."

Ken rolled his eyes before he let out a heavy sigh. It seemed that, like always, his mother forgot he was even there. But then, he may as well _not_ have been for all she cared.

"Oh my God!"

Ken blinked as the horrified cry was enough to finally snap him at attention. He looked up, as did his mother and her gossiping friends, and glanced about in search of the person who had shouted. He immediately saw a large group of people staring off in the distance in varying degrees of hysteria and terror. Panic sparked inside of him as he quickly glanced about before looking up in to the sky, just in time to see a massive missile surging downward towards the center of the Tokyo Bay.

Ken gaped at the scene, his expression going blank as the bags of groceries fell from his limp fingers.

* * *

The dropping of the nuclear bomb was a horror witnessed in many in the nearby districts of Tokyo, including a small family playing in the outdoor heated pool at the Ryuzaki estate. Keiko stood at the edge of the pool, halfway up the ladder, completely drenched and wearing a simple dark patterned bathing suit as she stared at the sky, utterly aghast.

Nearby, Nyamon mirrored the expression on her face as she sat on a beach chair out of the water's range. Slowly, her black sunglasses slid down her face before falling off entirely, landing on her lap.

Jin stood in the pool, the water coming up to his waist. He held a beach ball as if in mid-throw before he had come to an abrupt stop. Slowly, the beach ball fell from his frozen hands and landed on the water with a soft 'plop'.

Keiko had only been frozen for the span of three heartbeats before she was out of the pool, racing along the paved path towards the house, past the shallow end of the pool where her brother's wife Mina, a brunette with sharp almond eyes, sat with her little niece Sakura, staring at where the bomb fell. The black-haired, red-eyed toddler was the only one not on edge, giggling and splashing about.

"Buh bye Kei-Kei!" Sakura chirped as she waved at Keiko and then Nyamon who raced after her partner. "Buh bye Nya-Nya!"

Jin recovered at the sound of his daughter and whirled to stare after the Chosen of Darkness as she disappeared into the mansion. "Kei-"

Keiko was far too fast for her elder brother, as she promptly gated into the Digital World the moment she came within reach of an electronic device. The screen of the television flashed and, with a burst of black energy, she and Nyamon were gone.

* * *

Keiko was the first of the trio to arrive in the Digital World, appearing in the temple of Darkness. Upon arriving, her bathing suit was immediately replaced with her typical dress as she instantly became dry. She took no more than two steps before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her in a hug from behind.

Without even needing to look, she knew whose arms held her in a death vice - it was none other than Narakumon in his more "human" form. Though silent, his trembling arms spoke volumes of what he felt, as he buried his face in the back of her hair.

Keiko returned the embrace as best she could just as Tenraimon joined in. "I'm okay, Papa… Mama. What happened?"

Tenraimon leaned back to stroke Keiko's hair while Narakumon continued to hug the little girl. Her smile turned sad before it faded into a grim mask. "A nuclear missile was dropped in Tokyo. Fortunately, it was disarmed before it could detonate, but, regardless, a Digimon tried to eliminate you, as well as the rest of the Chosen Children in your world."

Keiko felt her blood run cold as Narakumon's grip on her tightened, as though he was terrified she might disappear at any moment. "Millenniumon?"

"We suspect it might be another of his puppets, yes," Tenraimon said quietly as she clasped her hands together around her adoptive daughter. "The Chosen of Courage and Friendship, with the help of others, managed to delete the culprit, Diablomon, but we fear the threat isn't over."

"Ryo and Wormmon are currently trapped, in a place you know as Turkey," Narakumon finally murmured, his voice quiet. "He is unable to gate in, which prevented him from assisting." He paused, lifting his head slightly. "We need you to break the seal so he may return home."

"A seal?" Keiko repeated. "Is it made of Darkness? Is that why Ryo can't break it himself?"

"Actually, it's made from Miracles," Tenraimon said. "It would seem Millenniumon is learning how to use Ryo's own crest against him…"

"What?" Keiko stared at Tenraimon in confusion before she turned to Narakumon, which was a touch difficult due to how her adoptive parents held her so close. "Papa, why didn't you just tell me yourself? You don't need a computer to talk to _me_ any time."

Narakumon responded by tightening his grip around Keiko, wordlessly.

Tenraimon sighed and slid her hand up to gently stroke Narakumon's cheek. "He tried. Just as I tried to speak to my Chosen Child, Hikari. It would seem that… Millenniumon has learned how to use Ryo's crest against _us_ as well."

Nyamon's eyes went wide as her ears canted back. "What!? But Miracles is weak to Darkness!"

"But Miracles also holds domain over the Digital World," Tenraimon said, quietly. "Just as I hold domain over the Light World and Narakumon over the Dark World." At Keiko's blank stare, Tenraimon's expression grew strained. "He… _disconnected_ our worlds, trapping us out of the Digital World, and thus the real world. Think of it like taking a server offline. Narakumon's power cannot overwhelm his if he cannot reach him."

Horror bled into Keiko's expression as her eyes widened to their utmost. "He… he _what_?"

"Then… that means...!?" Nyamon struggled for words before she flew her gauntlets out in a wide sweeping gesture. "What do we do!? What _can_ we do!?"

"You're a Chosen Child," Narakumon finally spoke, his voice rough. "You… can do _anything_. He can no more keep you out than I can."

Keiko straightened up with a jolt of adrenaline, but Narakumon's embrace still held her fast. "We have to hurry! Tell me how to break the seal! If you two are kept disconnected, then the Digital World…!"

Narakumon gave a sharp nod, his grip like a vice even as his arms trembled.

"Just… just give us one more moment like this, Keiko," Tenraimon said softly as she pulled closer to Narakumon and Keiko. "Please forgive us for being selfish for just one moment more. We were so close to losing you…"

Keiko hesitated at those words and squeezed her adoptive parents tighter. She wasn't used to seeing the fear in their eyes; it was unsettling. However, she knew too that they were only afraid because they loved her so much. "Okay, Mama, Papa. I love you."

"We love you too," Tenraimon said softly before kissing the crown of Keiko's head.

A quiet huff escaped Keiko in spite of the loving moment, as she couldn't stop feeling uneasy about the whole situation. "We're not going to let this happen to either of you again. I promise. We're going to train twice as hard after this is all over."

Nyamon watched the exchange, her expression softening for just a moment before it became hard again and she glared at the ceiling, her ears canted back. "We need to deal with Millenniumon - permanently. This proves that _nothing_ is safe."

Keiko nodded her agreement. "The fact that he can apparently affect the human world and even manipulate our crests… it's clear now that he is an enemy that can't be allowed to live."

Narakumon grimaced. He glanced up to meet Tenraimon's gaze, who returned it with a somber expression of dread. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head, and finally forced himself to speak in the low somber tones one would deliver a death sentence. "So it would seem."

Tenraimon similarly closed her eyes as she bowed her head and took one of Narakumon's hands in hers as they continued to embrace the daughter they came so dangerously close to losing forever. "For the sake of both worlds."

* * *

A nuke. A _nuke_ was dropped on Tokyo.

Osamu couldn't believe it, but the media was blowing up with the news, speculating and trying to figure out who was responsible. Talking heads wondered if this worldwide hack of the internet was done by a super cyber terrorist group, but _he_ knew the truth with total horrifying clarity.

The fact that Ken had disappeared during the crisis only made the situation that much worse.

Unknown to Osamu, Ken was on his way home, though he was taking his dear time getting there. His head was full of the day's activities, and he didn't look forward to the explosion that he fully expected to be waiting for him when he got home. After all, there was _always_ an explosion waiting for him. It was one of the many reasons he decided to gate back with Ryo before making his way home by foot - it allowed him to drop Wormmon off and then delay the inevitable as long as possible.

"They're probably upset that I took off," Ken muttered as he slowly walked along the darkened street, his head bowed. And it was true - while his mother was busy gawking with the neighbors at the place the nuke fell, Ken ran to the nearest electronics store and gated out, leaving the groceries all over the ground. There was no way he was going to stand idly by when something so serious happened.

Even if Osamu didn't think much of him, everyone else said they needed him. And even if he didn't feel useful himself, he wasn't going to let them down.

"I can't believe he's back. _Again_ ," Ken sighed heavily. While they couldn't prove it yet, the odds of it being anyone else but Millenniumon were incredibly low. The fact that the culprit was able to interfere with the real world showed just how serious a threat Millenniummon was. It was hard to tell if that was more or less horrifying than the disruption to their means of communication, especially Keiko's to Narakumon. It was the perfect storm and, if not for the other Chosen Children who managed to defeat Millenniumon's latest puppet, they would all be _dead_.

That knowledge made Ken's stomach churn with fear. Even though the threat had passed, it did little to soften the impact of that revelation.

"Thank goodness Omegamon was able to stop him," Ken said with a sigh before he looked up at the sky. "Omegamon…"

Ken had to admit, he wished he could have seen the fight. The name itself told him nothing of what kind of Digimon defeated Diablomon, but the creation of Omegamon was what was truly inspiring. Jogress - the ability to merge four hearts together and give birth to a Digimon forged of their bond. Such a being must have been truly _incredible_. "I wish… I was that strong..."

Ken gave a quick shake of his head, dispelling the negative thought. "We need to stop him!" he said as he reached up to press his hand against his chest. His pulse was still quicker than it should've been, as he simply couldn't calm down. The danger they were in that day came so quick, so unexpected, and it was only a miracle that it didn't end in utter tragedy. "And we need a way to communicate that he can't block. There's got to be something we can do…"

Ideas churned inside Ken's head, theories quickly discarded and unknown variables lingering as questions he needed to answer before he could go further on that train of thought. The frustrating cycle only came to an abrupt halt when he found himself staring at the nameplate outside the door to his apartment. He hesitated, hand hovering near the doorknob with a grimace twisting his face.

Ken really didn't want to go home.

It took longer than he liked to gather his nerve before he could finally open the front door. The air felt tense around him, suffocating, and leaving Ken feeling as though he had just stepped into a minefield instead of into the entryway of his home. Even before he got his shoes off, he could hear his mother sobbing from deeper within the apartment. The sound twisted his heart, but he couldn't shake the cynical thought that going to her side would only result in another round of scolding and yelling.

With a defeated sigh, Ken went to find his mother, as prepared as he could be to face his family.

The rapid sound of footsteps startled Ken, and he barely made it past the kitchen before he came face to face with Osamu, who skidded to a halt before him. The two brothers stared at each other as if frozen, eyes wide. It seemed like forever until one of them moved and Ken was stunned to find that it was Osamu who pulled him into a hug.

"Nukes," Osamu whispered in a trembling voice. "Digimon have access to _nukes_!"

Ken blinked repeatedly before he furrowed his brow. "U-um… apparently, yes? If they hack the government..."

Osamu jerked back and Ken was shocked to see his eyes were surprisingly moist. "How can you be so calm about this!? A nuclear _bomb_ almost went off because of them!"

Ken was more than a little disoriented as he found himself compelled to reassure the brother that he had been prepared to argue with not even minutes prior. "I'm not… it's just something we have to deal with, that's all."

"Why!?" Osamu sputtered, bordering on hysterical. "You're _eight!_ Don't you see how insane that is sending _kids_ after _nukes!?_ You and everyone else would be _dead_ right now if it went off!"

"We… didn't know he could do this," Ken said, his voice quiet. "He's not supposed to be _able_ to do this."

"God…" Osamu breathed, rubbing his face to ease some of the tension there, though he kept one arm around Ken. He had to pause to readjust his displaced glasses before resuming the conversation. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"Nothing," Ken said, more to himself than Osamu. "You aren't supposed to do anything."

"Nothing," Osamu repeated, the word an empty echo as he stared at Ken dumbly. " _Nothing_?" Fear was swift to fill the void of emotion. "You mean all we can do is just sit around and wait for these monsters to bomb us again and see if it actually _detonates_ next time!?"

Ken struggled with how to respond to Osamu, churning the words over and over in his head. He knew his brother wouldn't be satisfied with his answer, no matter how it was phrased, but it was an unfortunate truth that Osamu needed to hear. "Yes. That's all _you_ can do. That's why there are Chosen Children - like the ones who stopped the nuke."

One look at Osamu's face was all it took to tell Ken that he had said the wrong thing.

"You ran off to take on a nuke?" Osamu said, the question shaped more like a spear with a jagged tip as it launched at Ken.

Ken blinked. "The nuke was already taken care of."

"That's where you were," Osamu said, growing a tinge more hysterical with each word that tumbled from his mouth. "You ran off to see if you could fight a _nuke_ because of this 'chosen one' _bullshit_!"

Ken's cheek twitched slightly as his jaw clenched. " _Osamu_. I was _with Mom_ by the bay when the nuke fell. I watched the nuke actually _land_ in the water! I would have been the first to _die_! With or _without_ Wormmon!"

Those were the words that hit home. Instantly, Osamu deflated, anger drowning under a tidal wave of fear, and once more Ken found himself caught in his fiercely protective embrace. Tremors ran through his body from the knowledge that if the warhead had been active on the nuke that was dropped on Tokyo, he might have lived long enough to learn how Ken had been instantly vaporized in the explosion.

Unbidden, knowledge came rushing to the forefront of Osamu's mind - of World War 2, of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, of nuclear radiation and its effects on the human body. All too vividly he recalled photographs of nuclear shadows and bodies that barely qualified as human after radiation ravaged them. All too helpfully, the genius' brain gave him a vivid picture of what he and his family had nearly experienced, what had been so narrowly avoided. All his studies came back to bite him, taunt him with the knowledge he had learned.

Osamu wanted to throw up.

Ken watched the turmoil in his brother's face and his heart panged in sympathy, as it was something he himself was trying desperately not to think about. Instead, he reached up to awkwardly rub his brother's back in what he hoped was reassurance. The fact that he was reassuring the very person he was still fighting with only added to the awkwardness.

"There you are!" Haruto bellowed, startling the two boys as he stomped towards them. "Ken! Do you have _any_ idea how worried you made us? Your mother has been crying ever since you disappeared on her! And you've been scaring Osamu to death!"

Ken jumped at the sudden appearance of his father and stared over Osamu's shoulder, wordlessly. There really wasn't anything he could respond with, after all.

Haruto glared down at Ken. "You better not have run off to play with those _monsters_ again! I swear, if they had anything to do with this…"

Ken said nothing once again. He didn't want to lie and he preferred to not to say anything at all if he had an option for it.

Unfortunately, Haruto didn't take the silence well, his anger growing by the second. "Where were you?! Answer me!"

Ken hesitated before he went for the safest truth. "I went to check on Ryo."

"You what?" Haruto sputtered. "You ran off to play with your friends and didn't say a word to your mother first?! Do you know how hysterical she's been since you disappeared! It's only because of Osamu that we haven't called the police to look for you by now!"

Ken wanted to correct his father about 'playing' with Ryo, but knew no good would come from it. Instead, he kept his mouth shut and hoped his father would drop the matter after enough scolding.

Haruto's lip curled up at the corner, and he pointed down the hall with a quaking finger. "You march your butt right in there and beg your mother for forgiveness for being such an ungrateful son! Then you go to your room and say goodbye to your friends! You're _grounded!_ "

Ken felt a flare of anger flicker inside of him, a flame that threatened to burn through him and unleash hell upon his stubborn kin, but he did his best to suppress it. If apologizing to his mother was all it took to make peace between them, he'd do that for the sake of getting the matter over with. He didn't care about being grounded or his father's ultimatum, as he knew neither would ever pay attention to him long enough to enforce it. After all, it was the same thing they had said after the fight over Wormmon, too.

Rather than cause strife, Ken pulled away from his brother to do as he had been told, only to be startled as Osamu resisted and reaffirmed the hold on him. Surprised, he turned a questioning gaze back to his brother. "Osamu?"

"You…" Osamu's voice shook, muffled against Ken's shoulder. He paused only to strengthen it and speak just loud enough for their father to hear him. "Ken almost died today."

Haruto went silent. After a long moment, his hand fell to his side, and he let out a huff of air, deflating like a balloon. "Just go apologize to your mother for running off, Ken," he eventually said, still gruff but with far less bite to his tone. "She's been worried sick about you disappearing like that and won't calm down until she sees you're okay."

Ken was taken aback by the sudden change, but relieved all the same, before he gave a small nod.

It took a little time and patience, but eventually he managed to coax Osamu into letting him go. However, as he made his way to the living room, his brother wasn't far behind. For the rest of the night, Osamu was his shadow, scarcely saying a word until long after an exceedingly awkward dinner when the two of them retired to their room.

"Ken?" Osamu said, startling Ken as the younger boy into pausing with a foot on the first rung of the ladder to their bunk bed. "Do you mind if we stay up a little longer?" He hesitated a moment. "We could play that game I gave you if you want. I'll even be player two."

Ken blinked at that before he nodded, taken aback by such an offer. He couldn't remember the last time Osamu acquiesced the first player position. "Okay, Osamu. I don't mind. I… really don't feel like sleeping right now, either."

For the first time that day, Osamu finally smiled, though it was shadowed by eyes still haunted by the fears of what might had been. He doubted that he could ever sleep well again - not as long as they lived in a world where monsters had free reign to kill whoever and whenever they pleased.


	34. Chapter 34

Ken looked about in wonder at the Gekomon village, completely mystified. Founded over a swamp, the entire village was suspended on wooden bridge-like platforms, with little grass-hut buildings resting neatly upon them. The only solid-looking structure that could be seen for miles was a massive gray shinto-style castle high on a cliff-side hill overlooking a lake, far from the village itself. He scarcely paid mind to the castle, far more intrigued by the village itself and how delicate it appeared, yet the platforms felt solid beneath his feet.

"I guess it makes sense," Ken said as he stopped to peer over the edge of one of the platform railings, finding to his delight that the water was so clear that he could see small fish of an array of vibrant colors swimming about the reeds. "They _are_ frog Digimon."

"Do frogs in the real world do anything like this, Ken-chan?" Wormmon asked as he looked up from the water to his partner."

"That's…" Ken faltered for a moment. "What I meant was that frogs live on lakes and usually are on lily pads, and that's what this village kind of looks like."

"That's correct," Bokomon said as he puffed his chest up. "Gekomon Village is a testament to Digimon ingenuity, and-"

"Weee~!" Neemon squealed as he leapt into the water, generating a splash that narrowly missed Ken and Wormmon but completely doused Bokomon from head to toe and sent the fish scattering in all directions.

Bokomon sputtered as he wiped water out of his eyes and glared down at Neemon.

"Neemon has digivolved to Fish Neemon!" Neemon said as he paddled around before laughing some more.

Ken giggled. "Congratulations, Neemon!"

Wormmon laughed along with his partner, his heart light as air. After everything that had happened, he was glad to see Ken smiling again. Returning to the Digital World had done him a world of good.

Ryo glanced over to Ken and the three small Digimon before his eyes trailed upward, to the looming castle on the hill. He and the rest of their group stood slightly apart near one of the bridges. "So, who lives there?"

"That would be TonosamaGekomon," Nyamon said as she looked up at the castle as well.

"The pathetic turd of a Digimon we're here to see," FlaWizarmon said, flashing Ryo a grin.

Ken blinked before he turned to stare at FlaWizarmon, stunned by his words. "Huh?"

"That name sounds familiar," Leomon said, arms folded stoically across his chest. "I believe the other Chosen Children may have encountered him in the past."

Keiko sighed as she rubbed at her temple. "We've dealt with him before too. More than once."

"He's your typical bully," Nyamon said with a shrug.

"Yep!" FlaWizarmon agreed. "Arrogant, loud, entitled, and opportunistic. There's a reason he and KingChessmon have been at war for so long."

Witchmon flashed a toothy smile at Ryo and Ken. "Because KingChessmon is _also_ arrogant, loud, entitled, and opportunistic."

"We've dealt with _him_ before too," Keiko huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Hopefully we won't have to deal with both of those idiots while we're here."

"TonosamaGekomon once had a temper tantrum nap over losing at karaoke to KingChessmon," FlaWizarmon said as he tapped his chin. "Everythin' was peaceful for a while, thanks to that."

"A… temper tantrum… _nap_?" Ken repeated, slowly.

"One that lasted for quite a number of years," Witchmon added cheerfully.

"That's some nap," Wormmon muttered, a drop of sweat dripping down the back of his head.

"But all good things come to an end at some point, dontcha know," FlaWizarmon said with a sigh. "The Gekomon forgot how bad they had it when the turd was awake, so they got someone to snap him outta his self-imposed coma." He paused to shake his head. "An' now he's up an' runnin' again… and the feud with it."

Ken furrowed his brow, feeling a pang for the Gekomon. The idea that they were getting dragged into a war that wasn't of their own choosing was horrifying, to say the least. "That's… awful."

Keiko gently ruffled Ken's hair and flashed him a smile as he blinked up at her. "That's one reason why we're here. Sometimes certain Digimon need a reminder that there are _consequences_ to bullying others."

"Who knows?" Nyamon said as she turned her gaze back to the castle. "Maybe having to rebuild his castle after getting his ass kicked mellowed him out - _especially_ after getting sent to the Village of Beginnings by the Dark Masters."

"I doubt it," Keiko said with a snort as her smile faded away. "Lessons never last long with Digimon like him."

FlaWizarmon let out a thoughtful hum before he glanced over to Ken. "Ken-chan, why don't you stay in Gekomon Village with Wormmon, Neemon, and Bokomon, while we pay ol' TonosamaGekomon a visit?"

"Huh?" Ken blinked. "Why?"

"It's just stuffy politics, that's all," FlaWizarmon said with a shrug. "Pretty borin', if I do say so myself. Gekomon Village is _much_ more interestin'~!"

"Plus TonosamaGekomon has absolutely _no_ volume control," Witchmon sighed before pulling out a couple ear plugs from somewhere in her cloak. "It's not fun trying to talk someone down while you've got to have a couple of these things in, you know."

Ken hesitated before reluctantly nodding. "Okay." He had a feeling there was another reason for the suggestion, but decided against pressing the issue. He wasn't too keep on meeting a bully, anyway.

Wormmon schooled his expression to hide how his spirits dipped. It was obvious what their friends were doing; it was a sore reminder of his weakness. Still, he wasn't about to say anything, as Ken's safety mattered far more to him than his wounded pride.

FlaWizarmon turned to give Bokomon a pointed stare, who jumped before turning to face Ken.

"Come, young Kindness!" Bokomon said as he gently took Ken's arm and began leading him onwards. Ken stumbled a step as Bokomon pulled him along, but was quick to catch up. "You simply must try the local _cuisine_!"

"You'll love it!" Neemon said as he climbed out of the water and hurried after the two. "It's made with real flies!"

Ken jerked at that. "What!?"

"G-gross," Wormmon said with a grimace.

"The hell it is!" Bokomon turned back to hotly snap at Neemon. "Don't put strange ideas in young Kindness' head!"

Ryo waited as Bokomon and Neemon wandered off with Ken and Wormmon, before he finally glanced to Keiko. "So… why, exactly are we leaving Ken behind?" he asked quietly.

Keiko leaned in close to speak lowly in Ryo's ear so that Ken wouldn't overhear. "TonosamaGekomon is a giant pervert and Ken-chan is way too cute."

"A precious cinnamon roll," Witchmon agreed, with a smile.

"Wait, but what about y…" Ryo trailed off at noticing Keiko's piercing red stare. "Nevermind."

Keiko held up a fist as the light dimmed around her hand. "You become a lot less cute to a pervert when you can destroy his crotch with a single punch."

Instinctively, Ryo crossed his legs and cringed. Even Leomon's stoic expression cracked with a grimace while FlaWizarmon's smile faltered just a touch.

Nyamon's eyes flashed dangerously as a wicked smile appeared on her lips. "And that's not even going into what _I_ did to him for trying."

"S-sorry I asked," Ryo muttered.

Keiko relaxed and lowered her hand as the light around it returned to normal. "Plus, KingChessmon might charge in there to pick a fight again, and he's just as big a pervert."

"'Sides," FlaWizarmon said as he pulled the brim of his hat down. "It's better Ken-chan not be there… just in case."

"In case of what?" Leomon asked as he arched his eyebrows.

"In case TonosamaGekomon has already decided to side with Millenniumon, or is considering it and isn't willing to see reason," Nyamon replied. "While he's fairly arrogant and would typically reject the idea of serving another, if he thinks he can _gain_ from from it in any way…"

"Such as, y'know, certain promises - like aid against the Chessmon," FlaWizarmon piped in. "Well, it might just convince him that there's an _opportunity_ to take advantage of."

Witchmon waved her finger in circles beside her head as her ghostly cat drifted above her hat in a similar motion. "The rumors floating around at least hint that he might be getting offers. It might just be all talk, but I don't think it'll hurt to remind TonosamaGekomon to behave."

Leomon blinked slowly before he furrowed his brow. "And if he is interested in an alliance?"

Nyamon gave the lion Digimon and Ryo a vicious, toothy grin. "He'll be too busy _being reborn_ to cause trouble."

Ryo grimaced as he rubbed the back of his head. He was never going to be comfortable with killing, even if the Digimon deleted would be reborn afterward. "In that case, Ken _definitely_ shouldn't go."

"'Xactly," FlaWizarmon said, cheerfully.

"Like we said," Witchmon chirped as her hands came together. "He's a precious cinnamon roll."

Nyamon nodded before she turned her attention to the castle, her expression grim. "Alright then, let's go see TonosamaGekomon."

* * *

The interior of TonosamaGekomon's castle was dreary, to say the least. With its bland gray stone walls and floors and sparse decoration, there was barely any color to brighten the atmosphere. The expressions on the Gekomon that loitered about were similarly dreary, offering no commentary or resistance as they simply watched the Chosen Children and their entourage as they marched right into the palace throne room.

The throne room was a stark contrast to the rest of the castle. Every wall offered up banners, hanging scrolls, and paintings, while statues and vases so ornate they practically bordered on tacky cluttered the sides of the room, giving little space for the retainer Gekomon to bow on the tatami mat floor. Far at the end of the lofty, overly adorned room rested the imperial seat. Beneath silk drapes, gilded statues, and gold trimmings, the massive throne made of stone was positively modest as it supported a bloated frog the size of a two storey building with tuba pipes sticking out of his back.

TonosamaGekomon practically choked on the cup of sake he had been drinking as he spotted the Chosen. "You!"

Keiko paused to give an ironic wave and a wicked smile. "Good afternoon, pervert. Remember me?"

TonosamaGekomon tossed his cup aside, glaring down at Keiko with the revulsion of a homeowner watching a band of cockroaches invade. "As if I could forget. You have a lot of nerve waltzing into my land so casually, you little tease."

"An' you got a lotta nerve takin' that tone with Lady Keiko," FlaWizarmon replied, cheerfully. "So we're even~!"

Ryo blinked before he turned questioningly at Keiko. "Tease?"

Keiko's expression deadpanned as she jerked a thumb at TonosamaGekomon as she swished her skirt. "I wouldn't serve him sake or sing for him even though I happen to be a girl in a pretty dress."

Nyamon rolled her eyes, her mouth twisting in distaste. "He acted like it was a crime against nature."

Ryo grimaced. "Ah. I see."

Keiko looked around at the gathered Gekomon as they kept their troubled faces bowed close to the floor. Scowling, she turned her sharp red eyes to the tyrant on the throne. "You've been bullying the Gekomon and Otamamon again."

TonosamaGekomon paused at that, a war between pride and fear warring on his face before his nostrils flared. "I am their _king_ , and they will do as I say. There is no _bullying_ involved."

Ryo looked around at the Digimon forced to serve TonosamaGekomon as well. He could see how they were afraid to look up from the ground, occasionally cringing and twitching whenever the giant frog's voice rose. The obvious injustice sent a rush of anger through him. "They don't look like you're treating them well at all."

Witchmon cradled her cheek in one of her large hands. "Oh my, oh my. So it would seem, Lord Ryo. I guess TonosamaGekomon _still_ hasn't learned his lesson from last time. Maybe he needs another lesson~?"

TonosamaGekomon turned his focus to Ryo, narrowing his eyes, though he kept warily glancing at Keiko and Nyamon. "These Gekomon are my servants, I treat them precisely how they deserve to be treated, and they in turn respect me as their ruler and want my rule. I am beyond the reproach of some _humans_."

"Naw, I'm pretty sure Lord Ryo an' Lady Keiko can reproach you as much as they like," FlaWizarmon said, with a shrug, before his grin grew menacing. "So you might wanna tone it down, ya get me?"

Witchmon flashed a smile full of spiked teeth at the giant frog. "And about that 'wanting you to rule' part… Turns out there's a lot of word going around about the Gekomon and Otamamon having 'buyers remorse' about the whole thing."

TonosamaGekomon bristled. "How dare you!"

"Be quiet," Keiko said, her sharp eyes cutting massive Digimon down to size. "We already told you how you should be treating the Gekomon and Otamamon. Cut the crap out and stop abusing your power over them. _Now_."

TonosamaGekomon went silent, his body going rigid as he tried to meet Keiko's gaze and overpower it with a glare of his own. However, he couldn't even last a minute before he seemed to deflate, his mouth pulling tight in a grimace. Although he refused to speak, he bowed his head and turned his eyes to the floor.

"Thought so." Nyamon said, with a snap of her tail.

"Things have already gotten off to a wonderful start," Leomon said, keeping his voice low as he looked at Ryo. "Whether it's all bluster or not remains to be seen, but it does feel like a fight is inevitable."

Ryo nodded, his expression grim.

"So, you seem to have recovered well enough after getting assassinated," Witchmon said as she pressed her fingertips together. "Right back to fighting with the Chessmon, are we, dearie?"

TonosamaGekomon recovered surprisingly quick as he rose from his throne, puffing up his chest until he looked like a balloon. "Of course! Those fools won't stop encroaching on my land, and even have the audacity to _cheat_ at karaoke! I'll make him rue the day he trifled with me!"

"What's mine is mine, and what's yours is also mine," FlaWizarmon said, with a smile.

Ryo stared at TonosamaGekomon, dumbfounded, before he turned to Keiko. "How do you _cheat_ at karaoke?"

Keiko shrugged. "You unplug your opponent's microphone."

"Oh, is _that_ what happened?" Witchmon asked as she tilted her head back and tapped her lower lip. "I heard that TonosamaGekomon lost because he turned up the volume of the speakers past max and wailed so loud he blew up the electronics. Something about drowning out the competition means you win? If his microphone was unplugged, well that explains it! His voice was too soft and dulcet to be heard, I'm sure. Just listen to it now!" She patted her palm against her ear. "I'm only half deaf from it!"

"Quite frankly, I don't think either of 'em could sing if their lives depended on it," FlaWizarmon said, with a shrug. "So the only winners are those lucky enough not stuck listenin'!"

"Lies, lies, all _lies_!" TonosamaGekomon snapped as he slammed his foot down over and over, causing the castle itself to quake. The Gekomon shrieked and immediately scattered from their king, but the Chosen remained firm in the face of such a tantrum. "No doubt you've been listening to that lying cur, KingChessmon! I would have won, and he knows it! My voice has no equal!"

Ryo's brow furrowed as he stared at the frog Digimon, feeling rather at a loss. "That's a rather petty reason to go to war…"

"When death is nothing but a painful inconvenience, Digimon tend to not _need_ a good reason to go to war," Nyamon said, flicking her ear.

Keiko sighed and put a hand on her hip, her rigid demeanor softening just slightly from fatigue. "Why do you think so many Digimon go right back to their evil ways after we execute them for their crimes? It's a punishment that sets them back for a while more than anything else."

Ryo rubbed his face with both hands and slowly shook his head. "I'm never going to get used to that."

"Good," Nyamon said. "You _shouldn't_."

"Anyway," FlaWizarmon said, raising his voice to prevent the conversation from derailing. "So I reckon yer real busy then? _Real_ busy? _Far_ too busy to stick yer froggy nose in _other people's_ wars?"

TonosamaGekomon froze at that. He was silent for a moment before he burst out in loud, condescending - and above all unconvincing - laughter. "H-how ridiculous! As if I would ever have any interest in serving another!"

FlaWizarmon tilted his head as he quirked an eyebrow before sharing a look with Witchmon. "Yeah." He focused on TonosamaGekomon with a narrow gaze. "The thought's just totally ridiculous, right?"

"Completely!" TonosamaGekomon said a little too quickly. "What an absurd question! You've clearly wasted not only your time, but mine as well! As if I have nothing better to do than answer such a ridiculous question!"

"'Cuz there ain't no way you'd ever get offered anything that might make ya consider a _temporary_ alliance," FlaWizarmon said, his smile widening. "That just ain't gonna happen."

TonosamaGekomon flinched before he puffed out his chest, making his massive body look even bigger. "Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!"

"Right," Witchmon said with a giggle. " _Totally_ ridiculous~!"

"Just as ridiculous as you forgetting to treat the Gekomon and Otamamon with kindness?" Keiko cut in with a dangerous edge to her voice.

TonosamaGekomon jerked, perspiring a bit for a moment before letting out an annoyed exhale. A smile twisted at his lips as he forced a faux friendly attitude that was as transparent as a clear pond. "Perhaps I may have been a touch too harsh with my subjects, but you have reminded what true kindness is and all that. I'll be sure to keep my lessons to heart as their one and only ruler who will _never_ bow down to _any_ Digimon. You can leave now and not give me or my subjects a second thought."

Ryo grimaced. There was no doubt that their misgivings were correct. The rapidfire lies TonosamaGekomon spat out not only revealed it all, they cringeworthy to listen to, especially due to how loud and booming the giant frog's voice was. He inched closer to Keiko and whispered near her ear. "What should we-"

"L-Lord TonosamaGekomon! Lord TonosamaaaaaaGekomon!"

The Chosen immediately turned to watch as a Gekomon ran into the throne room and past the group with arms flailing, going so fast in his blind panic that he kept nearly falling over his own webbed feet.

"T-t-the Chessmon are attacking the town!" the Gekomon croaked out before he fell to his knees in front of their king. "S-s-save us!"

"What!?" TonosamaGekomon thundered before he whirled to face the Chosen as his face turned red with anger. "You! Is this your doing!? Did you come to serve as a distraction!?"

"Nice change of topic, croaky," FlaWizarmon said, pulling down the brim of his hat over his eyes.

"Ken-chan's in danger!" Nyamon said as she turned to Keiko, her ears canting back.

"T-that's right!" Ryo said, his eyes wide. "We left Ken in town!"

"Witchmon!" Keiko shouted as she turned to the witch. "Take us back, quick!"

"You got it, dearie!" Witchmon said, drawing up her cape. With a flick of the fabric, the Chosen disappeared, leaving behind only the haunting cry of her ghostly cat behind.

TonosamaGekomon glared at where the humans had once been, his expression severe. His bulbous eyes swept the room for any sign of the Chosen before he let out a low, dangerous croak. He turned his attention to the Gekomon that trembled at his feet. "Let Millenniumon know-"

A matchstick the size of a sword with a tip that burned with blue flames struck TonosamaGekomon in the cheek. With a sickening crunch and a choked croak, his head flew off his shoulders. His face was one of bewilderment before the flames engulfed his head and reduced it to data before it even hit the floor, with his bloated body exploding into nothingness shortly after.

FlaWizarmon grinned as he twirled his matchstick, then fixed his gaze on the horrified Gekomon. His piercing gaze lingered for a moment until the frog dropped to its belly in a bow in supplication. FlaWizarmon twirled another oversized match idly in his hand as he walked past the empty throne. He watched the Gekomon cringe as he approached and paused just behind the cowering frog. "Let Millenniumon know that we'll be fixin' _his_ ass soon enough, too."

The Gekomon let out a squeak of a croak, barely managing to respond to the order. "Y-y-yes, sir."

FlaWizarmon exhaled, noting the irony of the fear he had instilled in one of TonasamaGekomon's subjects as he walked away, his footsteps echoing through the castle that lost its king.

* * *

Chaos greeted the Chosen Children when they reappeared in the heart of the village, as Gekomon fled screaming towards the castle. Some hurried across the bridgeways while others opted to leap directly into the water, abandoning land for the security of the lake.

The group barely paid the fleeing Digimon any mind, instead racing towards the last place they saw Ken and the rest of their friends. Nyamon quickly darted ahead, much faster than the rest of the crew, as she all but shoved panicking frogs out of her way.

"We left Ken somewhere around here!" Nyamon shouted to be heard above the din.

"He's with Bokomon and Neemon," Leomon said. "So, they should-"

Leomon gave a start as two blurs passed him by, and he turned his head just in time to see the backside of Bokomon and Neemon while they flailed and screamed like the Gekomon as they retreated without much dignity.

"...Be completely useless~!" Witchmon said, with far more cheer than the mood called for as she pressed her fingertips together.

Ryo whirled to gawk after the fleeing Digimon. "Bokomon?!"

Bokomon gave a jerk at his name and stumbled forward, tripping on a board before landing on his face. Grimacing, he pushed himself upwards and glanced back, relief washing over him as he spotted his friends. "L-Lord Miracles! L-Lady Darkness! O-oh, t-thank _goodness_!"

FlaWizarmon appeared in a burst of black flames just in time for Neemon to race right past him, squealing and flailing while bumping into every Gekomon and sending them flying along the way. He wasn't sure whether to be amused or disappointed, but he didn't pause to think about it for long as he turned to Bokomon. "Where's Ken-chan?"

"O-oh, it's _awful_! Simply _awful_!" Bokomon wailed as climbed back to his feet, beginning to bawl. "Th-they've taken young Kindness!"

" _What_!?" Ryo shouted as he instinctively drew closer to Bokomon. "Where is he? What happened?"

The air darkened around Keiko as ferocity consumed her and twisted her expression into a promise of death and destruction. A quick look around was enough for her to judge where the Gekomon were fleeing from and that was where she ran, with Nyamon already racing two steps ahead of her.

FlaWizarmon's eyebrows shot straight up before his expression darkened, and he looked up just in time to see a Keiko and Nyamon charge right into the chaos. He clenched his fists so hard they quaked before he took off after them.

Witchmon lingered a bit longer than her partner and pulled her broom down closer to Ryo. "Hop on, dearie. We've got to jet."

Ryo had barely started moving when he saw the others running, but was quick to obey. As he held on tightly to Witchmon's back, the present faded beneath the terrible memory of blood and Ken standing above him screaming as Piemon's attack hit home. If it wasn't for him, for the sake of protecting him, his best friend would never have been injured, never fell into a coma. He swore he'd never allow such a terrible thing to happen again, and yet… " _Damn it_!"

"Let us hurry!" Leomon said, snapping Ryo back to the present as he brought up the rear, his expression grim.

As they rushed towards the danger, the Chosen Children and their fighting entourage soon found themselves encountering an entire army Digimon that all resembled chess pieces. True to expectations, the most numerous of the attackers were white and black Digimon resembling pawns with arms and legs attached - aptly named PawnChessmon. The PawnChessmon chased after the fleeing Gekomon with spears, chasing their fleeing opponents across bridges and breaking down doors of every hut they came across.

One of the white PawnChessmon noticed the Chosen rushing towards them and immediately turned to face them, holding his spear threateningly. "Halt-"

Nyamon cut the PawnChessmon off with a fist to his face, crumpling his armor inwward and shattering him into data upon impact. She flew forward through the cloud of digital dust, landing on her feet before she crouched and glared at the other PawnChessmon as many stopped their carnage to stare in horror at the felling of their comrade.

"Return Ken or _die_." Nyamon growled, baring her fangs, as her teeth blazed with fires so brilliant and deadly that her opponents recoiled at the mere sight of her.

The army of PawnChessmon stepped back, glancing at each other anxiously. While numerous, they were still Child level Digimon and completely unprepared for real resistance - especially that of Nyamon's calibur, let alone the rest of her comrades.

"Looks like ya'll weren't prepared for a _real_ fight," FlaWizarmon said, with a vicious grin as he twirled his large matchsticks in his hands like batons. "That's just too damn bad, ain't it?"

"No one else has to die if you return Ken-chan safely to us~!" Witchmon practically sang as she hovered high above the throng on her broom. Her ephemeral black cat crouched in her lap, baring its teeth and hissing at the assembled Digimon. "But if you've harmed even a single hair on his sweet little head…" Her smile widened to reveal many teeth that were far too sharp.

Keiko raised her hand enshrouded by darkness to the cowering army, her red eyes blazing with murder. "Bring Ken-chan back. _Now_."

"Where is he?!" Ryo demanded. "Where's Ken!?"

"You would do well to answer, if you value your lives!" Leomon said as he clenched a fist, aiming it at the nervous army of Child Digimon.

The PawnChessmon looked at each other anxiously as they shuffled about, attempting to regain their composure by finding safety in numbers, though it was clear that none of them was entirely willing to place their faith in it. Just when it seemed like they would abandon their ranks and flee, a voice came from behind them.

"You are _brazen_ , I will give you that," a Chessmon wearing black bishop robes said as he strode through the pawns to meet the Chosen's hostile stares. "And incredibly foolish." He directed his sceptre at the Chosen. "To side with the Gekomon over the clearly superior Chessmon is nothing more than the _height_ of foolishness."

"We didn't side with nobody," FlaWizarmon said, with an easy-going smile that did nothing to dilute his threatening stare. "Seems you lot are the ones pickin' the fight by takin' one of our own - who yer gonna return _immediately_."

"If you are referring to the princess that you left behind, that's entirely your own fault," BishopChessmon said with unwavering calm. "Only a fool leaves a princess unattended in a warzone."

"Princess?" Ryo repeated slowly, furrowing his brow.

"Ho boy," Witchmon muttered. "This is sounding a little too familiar…"

Keiko felt her stomach twist as she realized the awful truth. "Ken-chan!"

"The princess is now a guest of KingChessmon himself," BishopChessmon declared, with great authority in his voice. "And he shall remain so."

"The hell he will," FlaWizarmon growled, narrowing his eyes.

BishopChessmon lifted his hand in a beaconing gesture. "Then come! For only over my dead body shall-"

The blinding light of evolution cut him off, as Nyamon was soon replaced by Nyxmon. The angel Digimon fixed her blazing eyes on BishopChessmon, her wings fanned in a threatening display as the PawnChessmon all began to panic at the sight of the Ultimate Digimon before them.

Nyxmon's lips curled up into a feral snarl as she brandished her scythe. "As - you - _wish_."

* * *

Ken had never seen so much pink before in his life. A big pink bed with white frill sat in a room with pink furniture, white and pink curtains, dark pink carpet, and light pink wallpaper. Pink plushies of all adorable shapes and sizes rested everywhere along with pink flowers and ribbons tied in ever increasingly complicated bows. Even the white was starting to look pink when next to so much of it, creating the most stereotypical girly girl room that had ever existed.

And Ken couldn't figure out for the life of him why he was now locked within that room. He sat on the bed, holding Wormmon protectively in his lap as he took a long look at his surroundings, trying to make sense of it all. Everything happened so fast, with the sudden appearance of walking chess pieces rushing in and terrorizing the Gekomon to suddenly being whisked away by said strange armored Digimon. It took everything he had just to keep his hold on Wormmon, so that they didn't get separated.

"It's okay, Ken-chan," Wormmon said, too sullen to feign cheer. "I'll protect you." The words felt hollow, even to him. But then, it was hard to be confident when his attacks were _straight out ignored_ as both he and his partner were carted away. He may as well not have even been there, for all the good he did.

Ken looked down at Wormmon and tightened his grip on his partner, hugging the depressed Digimon close. "I… I'm sure the others will be looking for us. We just need to wait until they get here."

Wormmon couldn't respond, both his head and antennae drooping. If he had been a better partner, then Ken wouldn't _need_ to wait for the others. Ken wouldn't have been kidnapped in the first place.

Ken returned his attention to the room, furrowing his brow as he ran his fingers along the fluffy pink sheets, sinking down a bit in the bed due to its extreme softness. The mattress felt more like a giant pillow than a proper bed. "Still, it'd be nice to know what's going on. I mean, it's better than a cell, but-"

At that moment, the door to the bedroom opened, causing Ken to jump. He whirled to stare as a white armored BishopChessmon, entered the room. He tensed up, watching the large Digimon scan the room before focusing directly on him.

Ken felt a chill up his spine at the BishopChessmon and held Wormmon protectively close. "What… what do you want?" He tried to keep his voice from breaking, to show less fear than he felt, but didn't quite succeed.

"His Highness wishes for you to join him for dinner," the BishopChessmon said, his tone and stance purely business. He paused before his eyes flicked over Ken from head to toe before focusing on the child's suspicious face once more. "When you are dressed more appropriately, of course."

"Dinner? What…?" Ken began before he paused and furrowed his brow. "What? What's wrong with how I'm dressed?"

"It is not quite… befitting a princess," BishopChessmon said. He then gestured towards the large armoire by the wall with his sceptre. "A large selection of appropriate gowns and accessories have been provided for you. Please wear whatever you like." He paused for a moment before gesturing to Ken. "Except for that."

Ken blinked at that before his eyebrows shot up. " _What_?" He then quickly shook his head. "But I'm a _boy_!"

BishopChessmon didn't even blink. "That is irrelevant."

"Irre… _how_ is it _irrelevant_!?" Ken demanded to know. "It's the _truth_!"

"His Majesty has decreed you to be a princess, and thus a princess you are above all else," BishopChessmon said. "And princesses wear dresses."

"Princesses are _girls_!" Ken retorted.

"And yet you are both a princess _and_ a boy," BishopChessmon said, sagely. "Therefore, your assumption is incorrect."

"That's not… that's not how it works!" Ken protested as he stood up, wobbling a bit due to the softness of the bed. He clutched Wormmon tight so as not to lose his grip on his partner as he tried to regain his balance before straightening up. "I'm not a princess!" He freed a hand to make a sweeping gesture for emphasis, only to yelp when he nearly fell over.

"Ken-chan is right!" Wormmon protested. Though he wasn't entirely sure _why_ Ken was right, he would not hesitate to support his partner.

"You _are_ a princess," BishopChessmon said, firmly. "And you will dress appropriately for your dinner with His Majesty, KingChessmon."

Ken grabbed onto the bedpost for stability and held Wormmon close, inwardly glad that this was a canopy bed, then fixed BishopChessmon with a glare. "I'm not putting on a dress and I'm not going to 'dinner' with _anyone_!" he snapped. "It's not happening!"

"Stop telling Ken-chan what to do and let us go!" Wormmon shouted. "I won't let you bully Ken-chan!"

BishopChessmon outright ignored Wormmon as he met Ken's glare with a cool, piercing stare of his own. He spoke not a word, but instead drew closer, looming over Ken and Wormmon, letting his size and his evolutionary status speak volumes of his power over weak human and Child Digimon.

Ken fought to maintain his glare, but unease crept in until he instinctively began to inch backwards, only to stop himself when he noticed. The way BishopChessmon stared at him left him feeling utterly powerless, reminding him keenly that of all the Chosen, he was the absolutely weakest one. However, in spite of this, he refused to yield. A bully like this Digimon would never be more terrifying than the ones in his own family. "The answer is still no!"

BishopChessmon's gaze didn't waver, his unrelenting eyes bearing down on the Chosen of Kindness. While he said nothing, his eyes perfectly communicated his demand that the child yield to his king's wishes.

"I… I said no!" Ken insisted as he began to fidget, holding Wormmon close. "I'm not a princess!"

"Ken… Ken-chan doesn't have to wear a dress if he doesn't want to!" Wormmon shouted, trying to appear a lot braver than he felt.

BishopChessmon was unmoved by Ken's refusal, still looming over the human child. He pointedly ignored Wormmon, as if the Digimon wasn't even present, as he kept his gaze firmly on Ken.

Ken felt beads of sweat begin to trickle down the back of his neck. The longer BishopChessmon stared at him, the more he felt the oppressive demand of his much larger and stronger captor. As moments ticked by, the overbearing silence only served to assert even more pressure on not just the Chosen of Kindness, but Wormmon as well, who wilted in Ken's arms. Even though the Perfect level Digimon never said a word, his very stance was oppressive and only emphasized his demands and that Ken submit without further resistance.

It was too much for Ken in the end. BishopChessmon's very presence was a powerful threat over him. So powerful, in fact, that it completely crushed his resistance under its weight.

With a heavy heart and a grimace twisting his mouth, Ken slid off the bed and shuffled his way towards the closet, back bowed in defeat. Without a word, he gazed over the array of neatly arranged pink dresses and reluctantly looked for the least humiliating one to wear for his "date" with the king.

* * *

The walk through the palace halls was made with shuffling, wobbly steps, as Ken kept his sullen gaze fixed on the floor. He moved slow not just out of protest, but because not a single pair of shoes in that room had heels lower than five centimeters, and BishopChessmon had insisted that the abomination he was wearing had all the proper accessories. Sneakers, it turned out, simply did not pair well with a taffeta ballgown, even if the skirt was long enough that he had to use one hand to keep it raised enough that he wouldn't trip over it as he walked. Wormmon had offered to help him hold the frilly folds of silk at bay, but Ken refused and kept him close to his chest.

As mortified as Ken was, with cheeks darker than any shade of pink on his dress, he did not want to let go of Wormmon for a second in this place.

The ballgown was a humiliating array of overbearing pinks in varying shades, with only a spot of white being the occasional frill here and there providing the only sort of reprieve from the overwhelming pinkness. The fabric hung unflatteringly over his body, tied into place only by many pink ribbons that did nothing to hide how bumpy and frumpy it was. A heavy necklace of jewels and matching tiara weighed heavily on his head and neck. He was only relieved that he managed to avoid wearing any of the earrings by informing BishopChessmon that his ears were not, in fact, pierced.

The only relief Ken could find was that he had been allowed to wear his actual clothes underneath the dress. Why he couldn't also wear his sneakers mystified him, and BishopChessmon stonewalled any argument he made, citing that a princess had to be "properly accessorized" for dinner with a king. Still, at the very least he had Wormmon keeping a tight grip on his sneakers as they marched slowly through the castle.

The instant Ken saw an opportunity, he was going to ditch the ghastly pink monstrosity and flee with his partner, preferably by throwing the stupid heels in BishopChessmon's face before he tripped on them and broke his neck..

"I'm _not_ a princess, you know," Ken grumbled for what felt like the hundredth time.

"As you say, Princess Ken." BishopChessmon replied.

Ken made an irritated noise in the back of his throat.

"It's okay, Ken-chan," Wormmon said softly as he looked up at his partner. "We'll get out of this."

Ken nodded slightly as he glared sullenly at the floor. He continued to walk, his eyes boring holes in the fancy linoleum for most of the trip. He only looked up again once he saw ornate red carpeting and the edges of a grand doorway.

When Ken looked up, the sight of a massive banquet room greeted him, one far larger and more extravagant than it had any business being. With diamond chandeliers, golden furniture, and dishes made with every kind of precious metal and jewel known to man, he had to squint his eyes against the glare of all the glittering garish scenery. To give his eyes a reprieve from all the light shining at him, he focused away from the tables and past the many PawnChessmon servants scurrying about to place dishes of, admittedly, delicious smelling food onto the large table. The floors outside of the overly ornate red and gold carpeting was a floor made of stone in a black and white chessboard pattern, each tile marbled and framed in gold. The walls, by contrast, were surprisingly plain - save for the countless portraits and tapestries of some giant armored figure with a muscular physique wearing a crown doing random glorifying things, such as slaying a dragon or fighting an army single-handed.

"W-wow…" Ken muttered.

"It is splendid, isn't it?" BishopChessmon said, a note of pride in his voice.

"More like gaudy," Ken whispered to Wormmon, who nodded vigorously in agreement.

A pair of trumpets blasted Ken's eardrums as various PawnChessmon lined up on either side of the doorway suddenly began to play. He yowled and reflexively brought up the skirt to cover one of his ears as he pulled Wormmon close. The audio assault only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to make him barely hear one of them boisterously announce, "Announcing Princess Ken!"

Cringing, Ken stumbled forward two steps before he whirled towards PawnChessmon, his ears still ringing. "W-what was _that_ -"

Unfortunately, Ken had forgotten about his precarious balancing situation, and one of the heels snagged on the edge of the dress after it fluttered about his feet. With a cry, he tripped and fell backwards, losing his hold on Wormmon.

"Ken-chan!" Wormmon cried out in alarm as he tumbled into his partner's lap, but his cry was drowned out by another blare of the trumpets.

"Announcing, or most esteemed majesty, KingChessmon!" the PawnChessmon shouted, oblivious to Ken's fall or his pain.

Ken groaned from the pain throbbing in his head more than the one in his rump, and covered his ears with a grimace as he sat up, struggling with the confining pink monstrosity wrapped around him, kicking the damned heels off in the process. Wormmon dropped the sneakers in favor of helping his partner fight off the pink menace, though his digits were far more clumsy than hands when faced with so many knotted ribbons.

BishopChessmon held an expression made of stone as he plucked Ken up off the ground by the back of his dress and set him delicately onto his feet. Only then did he finally speak. "Princess, you should hurry up and put your shoes back on. You must look presentable for His Majesty."

Ken shot BishopChessmon a glare that could melt glass.

In Ken's mind, a king was someone as big and grand as the figure depicted in the portraits of the banquet hall. The tiny Digimon that entered with pomp, circumstance, and a shower of rose petals thrown by his subordinates was anything but that. KingChessmon was a ridiculous, tiny Digimon, only taller than Ken due to the long pointy prongs on his crown. He was practically a caricature of the figure in the paintings. It was obvious from his giant scepter to his medals to his long flowing cape that he was trying to be an intimidating figure in his pristine white and gold armor, but little black mustache that appeared to be cut out of a piece of posterboard pasted to the front of his helmet ruined any chance of taking him seriously.

"Ah, Princess Chosen Child!" KingChessmon said in an awkward tone that made Ken think of when some of the boys in his class tried to pretend to be adults and mistook a mature tone for crackling gravel. "So nice of you to accept our invitation!"

Ken scowled as he defiantly put his _real_ shoes back on, only looking across the banquet hall when KingChessmon spoke. He returned his attention to shoving his feet in his sneakers, only to quickly turn back around and stare at the strange Digimon addressing him. "I… you didn't give me much of a choice…"

KingChessmon failed to react to Ken's muttering, but instead strode forward with a confident gait… for exactly four steps before he darted forward at top speed, his armored feet clanking rapidly across the tiled floor. He crossed the long span of the dining room in seconds and leaned in far too close, head bobbing up and down and darting about Ken to examine the boy from all angles. "Oh ho, oh ho! Such a cutie you are! We knew a princess from another world would be a fine prize for a king like ourselves!"

Ken jerked back from the sudden invasion of his personal space, eyes wide in alarm. After stepping backwards to give himself breathing room, he forced himself to gather his courage, straightening up with a grimace in the face of such a strange Digimon. "I-I've been saying this whole time, I'm _not_ a princess!"

KingChessmon jumped, stunned. "What? You're not? That can't be!" He darted around Ken, scrutinizing the boy all over. "Look at that flawless pale skin, that luxurious dark hair, those big blue eyes, that cute little mouth and sweet voice to go with it! Not to mention your perfect taste in clothing. How can you be anything other than a princess?"

Ken could _feel_ KingChessmon's gaze piercing him through the visor, and he clutched Wormmon tightly to him as his skin crawled. The self-consciousness he felt at such an appraisal was only matched by his annoyance and embarrassment at being reminded of the clothing he had been forced to put on because of this obnoxious Digimon before him. "Well, for one… I'm a _boy_. Second, I didn't _want_ to wear this dress in the first place!"

"That's right!" Wormmon chimed in. "Ken-chan isn't a princess, no matter what you say!"

"He seems quite hung-up on that, your highness," the BishopChessmon said as he peered down impassively at his diminutive king, standing at attention.

" _She_ is clearly confused," KingChessmon said as he waved dismissively at his subordinate. "All she needs is some time in a palace as magnificent as ours to get her wits about her. You know how hysterical and easily addled women can be."

"As you say, your majesty," BishopChessmon said, with a nod.

"I-I'm not confused, _you're_ confused!" Ken protested, his cheeks burning hot. "I should know what gender I am!"

"Pish tosh," KingChessmon said as he wagged his finger in Ken's face. "We will hear no more of this nonsense. Now sit and enjoy dinner while we regale you with our magnificent deeds of conquest, our cute little princess!"

Ken felt increasingly overwhelmed, as none of the Digimon seemed to be listening. "Do I have a choice?"

With a clap of his hands, KingChessmon cheerfully made his way to his throne at the opposite end of the long banquet table. "Of course not! What a silly question. Now, on with the feast!"

* * *

The food was the only thing good about sitting at the Chessmon banquet table, but Ken and Wormmon didn't bother trying any of it. Ken didn't even try to hide how he felt, seated at the end of a long, long, _long_ table full of plates that reflected so much light he constantly had to squint, and a mouthy braggart at the opposite end of the table who just. Would. Not. Shut. Up! They couldn't even ignore KingChessmon's endless prattling about personal boasts, as the large speakers placed periodically up near the ceiling of the room made sure there was no escaping the king's tales of how he - yet again - humiliated TonosamaGekomon.

Wormmon eyeballed the PawnChessmon holding the microphone up to KingChessmon and wondered if he could knock it out of the Digimon's hand.

KingChessmon, for his part, appeared utterly oblivious that his audience only remained seated due to the threat of death posed by his army standing at attention with their weapons ready around the table. Despite the fact that no one was reacting to him even when he jumped up onto the cushioned booster seat atop his throne to punctuate what he thought was a particularly good part of his story, he continued to ramble with the air of infinite superiority and importance.

"And then, TonosamaGekomon had the absolute _gall_ to imply that our singing would wound a deaf 'mon!" KingChessmon said with an agitated harumph. "Can you believe the unmitigated nerve? Of course then we rightly humiliated that bloated toad in front of all his servants with our keen wit. Hard to imagine why he has anyone following him at all with an ego so bloated it shrunk his brain to the size of a nut, we shall tell you that!"

"Just how can he throw so many boulders without smashing his _own_ glass house?" Ken muttered out of the side of his mouth, his expression deadpan.

"It's a mystery," Wormmon whispered back as he gave the bragging king an annoyed glare.

"Why, Princess Chosen Child!" KingChessmon gasped as he abruptly stood on his chair again and leaned across the table. "You've barely touched your food. Whatever is the matter? Are you on a diet?"

Ken felt a surge of irritation as he glanced down at the full plates before him. He wasn't about to vocalize that his entire situation and the king's behavior made him lose his appetite; he knew it was pointless. He doubted that the Digimon would acknowledge it anyway. "I… I'm just not hungry, that's all."

"Oh, such a delicate princess you are!" KingChessmon gushed. "But you really must eat. How about some milk? If you don't drink enough dairy your royal melons will never grow!"

Ken stared blankly at KingChessmon. "My… _what_?"

KingChessmon patted his chest. "Your melons! Marshmallows! Love muffins! Puff-puff poofs!"

The innuendo hit Ken hard, rendering him utterly speechless as KingChessmon continued coming up with a euphemism after euphemism for breasts. All that eeked out of him was a high-pitched noise as one of his dark pink cheeks occasionally twitched.

Wormmon didn't catch on as Ken had, oblivious to the sexual nature of the conversation, but he _did_ notice his partner's discomfort, which made him bristle with anger regardless. "Stop talking about Ken-chan that way!"

It was then that KingChessmon finally acknowledged Wormmon's existence and paused mid-allusion. "Ken… chan?" he repeated, slowly, as though contemplating the shape of the young boy's name in his mouth. Confusion immediately gave way to extreme excitement as he clapped his hands together. "Oh, so your name is Princess Kenchan? What a fascinating name!"

The more the king spoke, the worse Ken's embarrassment became. He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he let out a sigh. "Someone save me from this pervert…"

A resounding bang like thunder heralded the destruction of the massive doors leading into the dining room. Darkness stood in the doorway, snuffing out the light as she stormed in with Nyamon at her heels. The rest of the group followed after, as the doors could no longer keep them out.

"Give Ken-chan back or be deleted," Keiko said in a low, dangerous growl.

KingChessmon shrieked at the sight of the girl shrouded in darkness. "By us, no! It's the black knight, the fiend that poses as a princess to deceive innocent kings and their people!" He flailed about, pointing his scepter wildly in all directions. "Guards! Guards! To your king! Stop the black knight! H-hurry!"

While the Chessmon scrambled in a panic, Ken felt an instant rush of relief. "Keiko! Ryo!"

"Ken!" Ryo called out as he came to stand beside Keiko in spite of how intimidating she was with shadows surrounding her. However what did startle him was the number of PawnChessmon that charged towards them carrying spears. He jerked back instinctively and Leomon was quick to get between him and the enemy army.

Keiko didn't look at the attacking forces, her gaze sliding from Ken to her partner. "Nyamon."

"Leave it to me," Nyamon said as she narrowed her eyes. The light of evolution quickly overtook her, and Nyxmon twirled her scythe before bringing it down with a sharp slash in an obvious threat.

"Let us do this, Ryo!" Leomon said as he clenched his fists.

"Right!" Ryo shouted as he raised his Digivice. Within moments, Leomon disappeared into the golden light that engulfed him and emerged as Panjamon.

As Panjamon and Nyxmon moved forward, a crowd of Chessmon of all shapes, sizes, and evolutions rushed towards the intruders with their weapons raised in attack. Ken used the table as something of a shield as attacks and armor-clad Digimon started flying in all directions. He shifted anxiously, clutching Wormmon close, as he helplessly watched his friends do battle with his captors.

"W-what should I do?" Ken asked, more to himself than anyone else. His first instinct was run to Keiko and Ryo, but in order to do that he would need to wade through the thick of battle with no protection from a stray attack. The back of his neck throbbed dimly with an echo of the pain he felt that night Piemon ambushed them, reminding him of the very real danger he and his friends were in.

Despite everything, Wormmon tried to remain positive. "It's okay, Ken-chan. I'll protect you!" Even if he knew it was a lie, even if they _both_ knew it was a lie, he would say it and keep saying it until one day it was the truth and he became strong enough to defend his partner all on his own.

Unfortunately, Ken couldn't find any comfort in those words. The fresh reminder of Piemon helped him imagine what would happen if Wormmon faced even the PawnChessmon in battle. Visions of stabbing, _skewering_ , and the explosive deletion of data sent a wave of absolute dread through him, and he pulled his partner as close as he could without suffocating Wormmon in the process. "N-no, that's… w-we should…"

Ken trailed off black bursts of energy caught his attention. His eyes widened as he saw Keiko walking through the thick of the battle with her eyes fixed on him with laser-guided focus.

Darkness cloaked Keiko like a shroud as she strode towards Ken, not even looking at the battle around her or the Digimon directly charging at her with weapons aimed at her vitals. When the point of a lance thrust within arm's length of her eye it burst into data as Nyxmon crushed the head of the one who wielded it. A giant dart that flew on a deadly course towards her head fell to the ground in a useless heap of scrap when Nyxmon batted it aside.

No Digimon or weapon touched Keiko as she made her way across the battlefield with unwavering steps.

"S-so… so cool…" Ken muttered as he stared at Keiko. The way she and Nyxmon moved together like a force of nature was awe inspiring. Keiko was so completely in tune with her partner that they understood each other and had faith that each could keep the other safe. Although he had seen them work together before, it wasn't like this. Certainly, Keiko would throw in a punch or two, but she had never been so bold as to wade directly into a warzone. It was the exact opposite of him, as he cowered behind a table and prayed his partner wouldn't have to fight. Such a display of power was something he knew a burden like himself could never hope achieve, he still ached for just a fraction of their strength.

Ken was only snapped out of his reverie when Keiko flipped the table aside and reached him. With the same hands soaked in darkness that obliterated the table took him gently by the arm and began leading him back the way she came.

"Let's go," Keiko said. She refused to let her relief soften her. The last time she let down her guard, Ken almost died.

She refused to ever let it happen again.

"Uh… r-right," Ken said, bewildered in spite of himself as he let Keiko guide him through the battlefield.

KingChessmon had, at some point, ducked under the table as his minions began their assault - and their inevitable slaughter. It gave him a good vantage point, up until Keiko tossed his shelter aside. With a squeal, he tried to use a spilled cake and a broken ice sculpture of him as a new barrier, when he saw the hem of Ken's vibrant pink dress flutter out of the corner of his eye. When he saw his captive leaving and _who_ was responsible, his outrage overcame his fear and he lept back onto his chair.

"To arms, men!" KingChessmon bellowed. "The black knight has captured the princess! Stop him! _Stop him_! We _demand_ that you _stop him!_ "

The orders ended with an undignified yelp as white foot stomped down on the floor in front of KingChessmon, narrowly avoiding him as it crushed an expensive array of dishware. To his horror, Panjamon loomed over him with a cold aura swirling around one of his clenched fists.

"You craven coward!" Panjamon snarled. "Stand up and fight alongside your men!"

The only answer from the king of all Chessmon was to run away shrieking, scepter flailing wildly in the air at his side. "We're under attack! Your king is under attack! Someone save us!"

Panjamon snorted through his nose before he moved after the king, throwing his fist forward. " _Ice Beast Fist_!" A roar echoed as an ephemeral blue blast of energy in the shape of a lion head burst forward, slamming into the fleeing king and sending him through the wall.

Much to his annoyance, Panjamon noticed that such an attack didn't so much as put a dent in KingChessmon's armor, yet the king still scrambled to get back on his feet and run, shrieking all the while..

Panjamon snorted a puff of cold air through his nose. "It seems even an Ultimate can be a craven coward."

Ryo raced over to Ken and Keiko once his friends were close enough and swept the other boy into a hug. "Ken! I'm so glad you're safe!"

Ken returned the hug, clinging tightly to the Chosen of Miracles as a slight tremor ran through his body. "I'm so happy to see you! I knew you'd come to rescue me!"

Wormmon felt a twinge of unhappiness as he hopped down to the floor to give Ken a moment to seek comfort from Ryo. Watching his partner tear up with relief at being reunited should have been a happy moment, but all he felt was the toxic burn of jealousy. Although he had been present the entire time, he might as well not have been. He was powerless to stop the Chessmon from kidnapping and threatening Ken, they ignored virtually every word he said, and not even his presence could offer his precious partner any comfort.

Guilt and shame for how he felt made Wormmon turn away to watch the battle. Even as a substitute partner, Panjamon was amazing, as he went from one enemy to the next without pause, even able to terrorize the king that caused them so much problems. Nyxmon was death personified, effortlessly cutting through wave after wave of Chessmon from Child to Perfect, mowing them down in clusters with her scythe like blades of grass.

It all seemed so effortless to those two. This was what Wormmon _should_ have been, but he was too weak. For whatever reason, he simply could not evolve past his Child level. It wasn't through any fault of Ken, he knew that for certain. There was just something flawed within him, and he knew that because if he wasn't, then he wouldn't feel so bitter and jealous that he wasn't the one to rescue Ken. "I want to protect Ken-chan too…"

When the numbers of Chessmon thinned to the point that they finally began to draw back, FlaWizarmon caught up with the group at the banquet hall with Witchmon flying in right behind him. "Welp, it looks like Operation Rescue Ken-chan was a rousing success!" he said cheerfully as he hopped over a bit of splintered wood that used to be the door. "An' the exit's nice and clear now, so how 'bout we…"

It was the tone in which FlaWizarmon trailed off that made Ken keenly aware that he was being stared at. A mortified heat rose to the Chosen of Kindness' cheeks as he saw FlaWizarmon and Witchmon staring at him - more specifically, his dress. His face immediately went red as he bristled. "It's… it's not what it looks like!"

A crooked smile tugged at FlaWizarmon's lips as he cocked his head back slightly. "'Zat so?"

Witchmon giggled and flashed a toothy grin. "So you're saying that we're _not_ seeing our precious Ken-chan wearing a _darling_ little pink dress?"

"No!" Ken snapped, even as his blush deepened. "You're _not_!"

"Well, then!" FlaWizarmon said with an exaggerated shrug. "If Princess Ken-chan says it ain't so, I guess it ain't so!"

"We could _never_ argue with the cutest little princess this side of the Digital World!" Witchmon agreed with a sage nod.

"They made me wear this!" Ken protested as he pointed in the direction of the ruined banquet hall. "It's _their_ fault!"

"You know, Ken-chan," FlaWizarmon said as he leaned forward, his hands on his hips. "We could always ask Higashi to fix you up with some _real pretty_ dresses, if-"

"N-no!" Ken screamed as he shook his fists. "No, no, no, no, _no_!"

"They'd simply look _adorable_ on you, I'm sure~!" Witchmon giggled as she clapped her hands together.

"Um," Ryo said as he scratched his cheek. He couldn't deny that he found Ken wearing a dress and jewelry silly, but the sounds of battle behind him made it hard to appreciate the humor of it. "H-how about we focus on getting out of here first, and _then_ you can keep teasing Ken?"

"No!" Ken whirled to face Ryo, his blush so prominent it was spreading to his ears and neck. He then quickly realized what he said, which only intensified his fluster. "I-I mean, no to the teasing! No more teasing!"

"Er, right," Ryo said before letting out an awkward chuckle.

"Well, we can promise ya one, but not the other!" FlaWizarmon said, cheerfully. He then did a sweeping bow, gesturing towards the door. "Right this way, Princess!"

While Ken proceeded to flail and protest his princess title and Ryo watched on with mixed feelings, Keiko was more focused on Wormmon. She watched as the insect appeared far too distracted to get involved, too unusually focused on the battle as it was winding down, when normally he would be among the first to defend his partner from such teasing. After taking a moment to consider the significance, she approached the insect and knelt down.

"Wormmon," Keiko said, softly.

Wormmon jumped, startled out of his thoughts, before he turned to smile weakly up at Keiko. "O-oh, I'm sorry, I…"

"Not everyone grows strong at the same pace, or in the same way," Keiko said, her voice low. She got down on her knees as Wormmon gaped at her, and she gently reached forward to touch the top of the little Digimon's head. "And that's especially true for Light. Light takes the longest to gain power, but it can _crush_ Darkness if it wants to when it gets there." She smirked a little at the incredulous look on Wormmon's face. "I'm serious. Just be patient a little longer, okay? You and Ken-chan will reach Ultimate someday for sure."

Wormmon stared at Keiko in silence as her words slowly sunk in. As tears began to brim in his eyes, he gave her a tiny nod. "T-thank you..."

Keiko smiled gently before she pulled Wormmon into a comforting hug that he gladly accepted.


	35. Chapter 35

While the sounds of Factory Town had originally been quite distracting, Ken was so focused on his task that it turned into nothing more than background noise. Sitting on the floor, surrounded by assorted hardware in varying degrees of disassembly, his gaze rarely wavered from what he was working on, save to turn to Ryo's laptop sitting open beside him or to grab one of the many tools or parts surrounding him. In his lap was a series of circuit boards he assembled together, carefully arranged and tested in one program on the laptop screen while the other showed lines upon lines of code.

Ken spent nearly a minute scrutinizing the lines etched into the surface of one of the circuit boards and frowned. After grabbing a couple small transistors and placing them just so, he set the board down delicately and turned back to the laptop. Finding the right code took only a few seconds now that he knew what to look for, and after altering it in just the right ways, the world now acknowledged that the transistors were properly fused to the board and aligned with a slightly altered layout of the copper traces.

Wormmon watched in amazement as the circuit board changed before his eyes from one inscrutable thing to another, his eyes alight with curiosity. At first, he had mistaken Ken's tinkering for play, one that everyone was all too eager to encourage, especially him, by gathering things from around the factory at Ken's request. However, after he had finished his busywork of arranging parts and tools for his partner's easy reach, he finally saw just how intense Ken's expression was, how the child seemed focus in a way that he hadn't seen in a while. "So what're you making, Ken-chan?"

Ken made a thoughtful hum in his throat as he added a few more lines of code before it dawned on him that Wormmon had spoken. He blinked and quickly saved his progress before turning to his partner. "Oh! Um. I'm… trying to make a… a communication device, kind of like a cellphone."

Wormmon stared blankly at Ken. "What's a cellphone?"

"It's something humans use to communicate with each other," Ken said as he looked back down at the device in his lap. "After what happened with Diablomon, we _need_ a way to communicate that won't be blocked, so I decided to give it a try!"

"That's amazing!" Wormmon chirped as he clapped his foremost digits together. "You're amazing, Ken-chan!"

Ken felt a rush of pleasure at the praise, his cheeks tinting. "I… I just figured that I need to do _something_. It's not like… I can much of anything else." He paused before his expression darkened. "Though I'm sure Osamu would've been finished by n-"

"So how's it work?" Wormmon asked, a little louder than he intended, once Osamu's name left Ken's lips. Normally, he would be loathe to talk over Ken, but he was determined to keep his partner's mind off depressing thoughts.

Ken paused with a blink before he drifted away from his unhappy thoughts to his invention. "Well, once I get it fully working, you can use it not only to make phone calls - with video, even - but also send emails. I'm thinking of calling it a… a Digital Terminal, or D-Terminal for short." He gave Wormmon a sheepish smile. "I-it's probably not the best name, but…"

"It's great!" Wormmon cheered, feelers raising high. "It's a great name, Ken-chan! It's exactly what it's supposed to be. A Terminal is another name for a computer, right? And this is like a computer, but you hold it _in your hand_! And it's only for people who go to the _Digital_ World."

Ken's smile brightened. "R-right! That's exactly it! And with it, we'll never be out of contact again! We could even use it as an emergency Digital Gate, if we needed to!"

"That's amazing!" Wormmon gushed. "We'll all be able to see each other now no matter where we are!"

"I agree, it is quite an amazing little device."

Ken was about to respond to Wormmon when the strange voice piped in. He paused and looked up just in time for a metal hand to lash out, striking Wormmon and sending him flying across the room. "W-Wormmon!?" he shrieked as he stumbled to his feet and whipped about to face his partner's attacker.

The pill-shaped cyborg creature called Nanomon was a strange thing, with a cracked metal chassis that exposed one brown eye surrounded by wrinkled pink flesh. A glass dome full of holes took up the bulk of its head, which doubled as its body, containing a strange contraption with whirring parts and blinking yellow lights that matched its cyborg eye. Six thick segmented cables served as its limbs, the longest two having large hands with thick fingers while the stubbier bottom four ended in stubs with fleshy protrusions jutting out like claws.

One of the hands lashed out as fast as a whip and coiled around Ken, squeezing like a serpent. He screamed and struggled, but could do little more than take notice of Nanomon's strength and the unhealthy looking flesh that peeked out from numerous cracks and gaps in the metal exoskeleton as the Digimon reeled him in like the catch of the day.

"Finally," Nanomon hissed. "Another chance to experiment with a Chosen Child."

"E-eh!?" Ken gawked before he squirmed, kicking his legs. It was ultimately a useless gesture against the powerful Digimon. "H-help, w-w-Wormmon-!" He had precisely zero interest in being experimented on, as he could tell from the way Nanomon was eying him that it would be anything but pleasant.

"Ken-chan!" Wormmon shouted in a panic as he raced back to his Chosen Child. "Sticky Net!"

A spray of sticky webbing ensnared Nanomon's legs, anchoring them to the floor and stopping the enemy Digimon from leaving. The attacking Digimon glared down at the webs then at Wormmon. "Not this time," it said, its voice ending in a hiss of static. The empty hand raised, aimed at Wormmon and split apart to reveal sparkling cables and unleash an array of miniature missiles. "Plug bomb!"

Ken's screams were drowned out by the explosions that followed. Acrid smoke filled the air as the walls and floor blew to tiny pieces of data. He cried out for Wormmon, but there was no response. Even as Nanomon ripped free of the webbing and carried him away, he kept calling out for his partner and craning his head back, but all that remained behind them was silence, smoke, and fragmented data.

Ken could do little more than scream helplessly for his Digimon, tears streaming down his cheeks as Nanomon walked away with him in tow, leaving the devastation behind them.

* * *

Sorting through the labyrinth of machines in Factory Town for useful parts was something of an ordeal when most pieces were superfluous in their purpose. Still, Ryo felt confident about this stash of circuits he spotted. The tricky part was snatching the circuit boards right after they were rebuilt, but before they were crammed into something else. Fortunately, Nyamon was more than fast enough to dart back and forth along the conveyor belt before one of the many arms snagged her or her prize.

Keiko held still as Ryo carefully placed the next circuit board onto the stack in her arms, making the top of the tower now level with her chin. "Do you think this will be enough?"

Ryo paused to count the stack even as Nyamon returned with a new circuit board. "I'm not sure… Do you think you can carry all those back without dropping them?"

Nyamon flashed Ryo a fanged grin. "Considering I'll be carrying most of them, that's not a worry."

"I shall help as well," Leomon said as he flexed one arm to emphasize his muscles as the other arm held a heavy bag full of fasteners and miscellaneous parts that hung down past his knee.

FlaWizarmon hummed as he watched the group from across the room, leaning against the wall. He tilted his head, then cast a sideways glance to Witchmon. "Ya think we should mention you can just warp it over?"

Witchmon leaned in to whisper to FlaWizarmon's ear. "Let them have fun doing things for themselves, dearie."

Ryo nearly rubbed the back of his neck, but then thought better of potentially getting any hair or oils on his gloves before taking the last circuit board from Tailmon. "I guess over thirty is plenty."

Keiko nodded and allowed Nyamon to snatch up the bulk of the circuit boards as well as the one Ryo just took. "So what's next?"

Ryo looked further down the assembly line where Andromon diligently took the newly straightened out squares of metal before they could return to the next conveyer to be rebent. A small bead of sweat formed at the back of his head when he saw that the pile of metal by Andromon more than dwarfed the Perfect level Digimon. "Uh, telling Andromon that's enough metal for casing and stuff. I doubt Ken's going to use _that_ much for these-"

An explosion cut him off, one just far enough away that they could feel the faint vibration of it through the floor.

"What the heck!?" Ryo yelped.

Keiko dropped the circuit boards as she ran towards the sound, Nyamon close at her heels and Ryo not much further behind. "That came from where we left Ken-chan!"

FlaWizarmon and Witchmon were similarly already on the move, rushing to follow Keiko. Leomon quickly dropped his own supplies, as even Andromon's attention was drawn away from further gathering.

It didn't take long to arrive at the scene, though none of them were prepared for the carnage that awaited them. Rubble was scattered about the area, with electronics mingled among it haphazardly, including Ryo's laptop and the small handheld device Ken had been working on. Unfortunately, Ken himself was nowhere to be seen.

"Ken?" Ryo called out in a panic as he whipped his head around in search of his best friend. "Ken!?"

Nyamon flicked her ears before she jerked, then turned her attention to the rubble. A small twitch caught her attention and she leapt over to fling the bits of wall aside, revealing a battered and bruised Wormmon.

"Wormmon!" Keiko shouted before carefully scooping Wormmon up into her arms. "What happened? Where's Ken-chan?"

To their dismay, Wormmon didn't stir.

FlaWizarmon frowned before he glanced about the room, searching for anything that might tell them what had happened. Unfortunately, rubble couldn't talk. He grimaced before he turned to Andromon. "Hey, does yer fancy security system include cameras or somethin'?"

The giant cyborg Digimon nodded. "Affirmative."

FlaWizarmon looked at Andromon expectantly for a moment, only for Andromon to return the gaze with a blank stare. After a moment, the scarecrow quirked an eyebrow before raising both his hands, palm upwards, towards the giant cyborg. " _Well_? Are ya gonna _check_ 'em?"

Andromon paused before he gave another nod. "Affirmative." With that, he turned and trotted over to the far wall, accessing one of the many computer consoles that lined the walls of Factory Town.

FlaWizarmon watched Andromon as he headed off, then let out an exasperated sigh as he reached up to rub the back of his head. "Right then…"

"Robots," Witchmon sighed out of the corner of her mouth.

Andromon typed at the console, which then began to flash images before him. Everyone watched the android Digimon anxiously as he continued to access the console before finally turning to the others. "The Chosen of Kindness was ambushed by Nanomon, and was subsequently taken prisoner."

"Nanomon?" Leomon repeated, furrowing his brow.

"Ain't he that creepy ass mecha Digimon that tried to kidnap Love Darlin' at one point?" FlaWizarmon asked. "For an advanced robot, he sure didn't learn nuthin'."

"I think it's time for a refresher course," Witchmon said slyly.

Keiko was in no mood for jokes as she focused her blazing red eyes on Andromon, her voice lowering to a dangerous growl. "Where is Nanomon?"

"He is in the lowest level of Factory Town," Andromon said as he turned away from the console and faced Keiko. "I will take you to him."

Keiko's eyes narrowed. "Let's go."

* * *

Ken had cried all his tears and screamed until he became hoarse, for all the good it did him. Neither did much in dissuading Nanomon from taking him deep within the dark recesses of Factory Town, retreating to a small room the Digimon had claimed for itself. The Chosen of Kindness kicked futilely as Nanomon coldly dropped him onto an examination table before strapping him firmly with metal cables, which were more than capable of holding the small child at bay.

After a moment more of struggling, Ken collapsed against the examination table, gasping for air as he sniffled through his tears. Once he had regained enough of his breath, he craned his head about to try and see what Nanomon was doing, though a part of him dreaded to know the answer.

Nanomon didn't react to any of the screams, struggles, or even the silence that followed. Its mind was focused entirely on the terminal behind them as it searched for the files it squirreled away in the factory system of the Chosen Children. The first piece of data to appear on the screen was the subject of his last attempt - a girl only a few years older than Ken with red hair. Just the basest of cursory glances told Nanomon that this Chosen Child was a different type than the last subject it examined, but it was keenly interested in knowing what the differences and similarities between them were.

Ken grimaced before he began to struggle again. "Y-y-you're going to be in s-so much trouble when Keiko and Ryo find me!"

"Are those two more types of Chosen Children?" Nanomon asked, turning about to gaze at Ken with far more interest than the boy was comfortable with.

"T… they're…" Ken trailed off as he briefly felt himself grow concerned for mentioning them before he gathered his nerves again. He had to have faith in them - there was no way either could lose. "They're much stronger than you are, and they'll send you straight to the Village of Beginnings!"

Nanomon stared at Ken for an uncomfortably long time, making the boy squirm what little he could when strapped down so tight to the hard table. After a long moment of watching the Digimon's mechanical parts whir inside its cracked dome, Nanomon turned back to the computer.

"Preparing appropriate countermeasures," it said as data flew across the terminal. "There won't be a repeat of last time."

"O-o-or you can _let me go_ and not have to deal with it at _all_!" Ken protested. "It's your fault, you're the one causing this to happen!"

"The secrets of the Chosen Children _must_ be extracted," Nanomon said without looking back at Ken. "Your opinions are irrelevant."

Ken felt a wave of irritation, despite his fear. "Okay, _first off_ , my opinions are _not_ irrelevant! _Secondly_ , the 'secrets' of the Chosen Children are _none of your business_ -"

The sudden press of something sticky against his head cut Ken off with a startled yelp. He squirmed as more were stuck onto his scalp, and only when he saw what was in Nanomon's hands and the wires attached to them did he realize that the Digimon was hooking up some sort of electrodes meant to scan his brain.

"H-hey, stop!" Ken blurted out as he redoubled his efforts to escape, squirming and kicking his feet.

The only reward Ken's attempts yielded was Nanomon's massive hand seizing him by the jaw, forcing his head still so that the Digimon could finish placing the electrodes in the proper locations. His screams, muffled behind the metal hand, fell on deaf ears, and he was only released after Nanomon finished its work.

Panic seized ahold of Ken and he began to try and rub his head against whatever he could in an attempt to remove the electrodes. He didn't know what would happen, only that he had _no_ desire to allow it to happen.

Unfortunately, Ken was unable to do little more than tug his hair as the glue hung on fast in spite of his efforts. He was ready to rip his hair right out of his scalp if he had to, when Nanomon turned the machine on.

The area around the electrodes began to tingle, though they were only a precursor to the jolt that swiftly followed. Ken cried out in surprise as electricity flowed through his body, the feeling only mildly painful but still foreign and unwanted. However, his cry quickly transformed into a scream when something _reacted_ inside him, a throbbing _pain_ at the back of his neck that spread outward along his spine. His entire body spasmed in a futile attempt to escape the agony, as his head felt as though it was going to explode from the inside.

Mercifully, Ken only had a moment to experience such excruciating agony before everything went mercifully black.

Nanomon turned away from the monitor to the child at the sound of the scream, but there was no concern in its expression, only calculating confusion. "A pain response from a neural scan? That shouldn't be possible."

Before Nanomon could hypothesize the cause of such a reaction, its attention was brought back to the terminal when a sharp spark caught its attention. The information on the screen was going haywire, with the numbers fluctuating rapidly in what the untrained eye could only interpret as complete nonsense.

"This is-!" Nanomon barely managed to sputter before the terminal exploded in its face.

Paying no attention to Nanomon as it dealt with the detonating terminal, Ken had at some point stopped screaming. Instead, he stared impassively up at the ceiling with his blank golden eyes, his expression utterly devoid of emotion. After a moment, he lowered his gaze down to the metal band that was holding him tight.

Ken made a quizzical hum in his throat as he tested the strength of the bindings. "How annoying."

Nanomon didn't notice the change in Ken, too focused on the damage done from the explosion, both to the terminal and especially to its own body. Its electronic eye sparked from the fragment of metal that pierced it, its flesh eye glaring as it ignored its own pain readings while it focused on turning on the fire extinguishing system before all its hard work went up in flames.

Ken tilted his head to the side before he lifted his hands as far as the straps would allow, wiggling his fingers tentatively for a moment before turning them so that his palms faced upwards. His gold-tinged eyes started to glow and quickly too did his hands, which spread to the metal binding then. The straps twisted, letting out unearthly shrieks as the metal moved and changed in ways that defied physics, spilling out data even as they and the air around them glitched.

Unable to take any more, the metal band suddenly burst in a spray of data, along with part of the table, releasing Ken from his bondings. His movements when sitting up were awkward, almost unnatural, as though he wasn't used to using his muscles. Once successful, the straps around his ankles were the next to go before he surveyed his surroundings with the same impassive expression, as if he wasn't the captive of some dangerous Digimon standing only a couple meters away from him. He let out another hum in his throat before he slid off the table and got used to the balance of this body as he got onto his feet, destroying the electrodes attached to his scalp almost as an afterthought.

It was the noise of the metal rending that drew Nanomon's attention away from putting out the flames. Upon seeing Ken free, it lashed out its arm to seize him. "Halt! The experiment isn't-"

Ken didn't so much as look at Nanomon, instead flicking his own hand out towards the Digimon with a flourish. A pulse of golden light erupted from his fingertips yet again, catching Nanomon's hand before it could snatch the Chosen Child. The second the cyborg Digimon's hands touched the light, they immediately began to twist and break, cracking and crinkling in all directions as data leaked out.

Nanomon let out an ear-piercing electronic screech as its arm warped until it was a twisted mess of metal and flesh that was completely unrecognizable, its pain sensors overloading. There was nothing it could do but scream even as its arm sparked and eventually exploded into data.

It was only after Nanomon dropped to the ground, clutching its stump of an arm with its remaining one, that Ken finally turned to look at the Digimon. His expression was eerily cold, which only heightened the golden eyes that had replaced his gentle blue. "You're annoying."

Those were the last words Nanomon heard before Ken lifted his hand again, gesturing towards the agonized Digimon. It was Nanomon's turn to scream this time, as the rest of his body mimicked his hand with painful distortions. The Digimon was only able to hold out for a moment before Nanomon exploded into data, leaving nothing behind.

Ken lowered his arm before he let out a small snort. When he had sensed someone scanning his Dark Seed, he had feared that someone had finally noticed its presence after so long. He had rushed to do damage control, but in the end, it was nothing more than a meddler - and an insignificant one at that. "What a waste of time… I didn't need to bother."

The sounds of commotion and the destruction of a hidden door drew the attention of the being that possessed the body of Ken Ichijouji. Upon hearing shouts of his vessel's name, a small smile curled his lips as his ears focused entirely on one lone voice.

"Beloved," 'Ken' purred.

True to the entity's expectations, Ryo burst into the room, though he was unfortunately followed by the rest of his party - the Chosen of Darkness and her annoying cat, the two obnoxious chatterbugs, the inconsequential toy robot, and the insolent wretch that dared to act as his beloved's partner. As always, this motley crew certainly knew how to ruin a good thing. However, 'Ken' decided to focus more on the Chosen of Miracles and count his blessings for the moment.

With a wicked curve of a smile, a flickering of data and distorted color appeared across his eyes to mask the glowing gold beneath a veil of blue. The puppet master then had this proxy perform his best imitation of an innocent smile.

After all, Zeed couldn't make the most of his time masquerading as Ken if he was discovered too soon.

"Ken-chan!" Keiko shouted, first to arrive on the scene. Her blazing red eyes scanned the wreckage for an enemy, but upon seeing none, she turned her focus entirely on Ken. "Are you okay?"

"I-I think so!" Ken said, with watery eyes as Zeed channelled his inner childish twerp in a performance truly deserving of an Oscar - _every_ Oscar. "He… that Digimon… he was trying to do something with his computer when it suddenly exploded, and… and then _he_ exploded too! I-I don't know what happened, but… but I was so scared!"

Upon seeing the tears, Keiko immediately seized Ken in a protective hug. "It's okay. You're safe now. Wormmon is okay too, he just needs to sleep for a while, so don't worry about him either."

Quite frankly, Zeed couldn't have cared _less_ about Wormmon, but he wasn't so amateurish to say that. Instead, Ken gave a sniff as he returned the unwanted hug from the repulsive girl with all the gusto it required to elude suspicion. "I-I'm so glad… I… was so worried...!"

After a moment's hesitation, Ryo overcame a random - but sadly typical for him - irrational impulse of awkwardness and managed to join the hug. "I'm glad you're okay, Ken."

Ken rewarded Ryo by clamping on to him, holding him tight. Zeed noticed with no small amount of pleasure at how warm and strong Ryo felt, especially compared to such a small boy as the one he possessed. The very idea that Ken was able to enjoy such closeness whenever he wished was an offense of the highest order, and a privilege he certainly never deserved. "R-Ryo…!"

Ryo jerked, startled by the unexpected enthusiasm, or how close Ken clung to him. It was far more intense than any hug they had before and it left him feeling confused, troubled, and even _more_ awkward than before. "That… that Digimon must've really scared you, huh?"

If Keiko was put off that Ken let go of her so quickly in favor of Ryo, she didn't show it. Instead she gently ruffled Ken's hair, her red eyes softening with sympathy. "Ken-chan… It'll be okay now."

"Let's get Ken home," Nyamon said as she turned to her partner. "I think he's been through enough for one day."

Keiko nodded, her troubled gaze never leaving Ken.

Zeed couldn't have been more thrilled as he clung tightly to Ryo. Though he noticed the awkward stiffness of the Chosen of Miracles' embrace, he knew that it was only because he wasn't embracing his beloved with his true body but a wretch that even Ryo knew was unworthy. What had appeared to be a waste turned out to be something far more worthwhile. With none of the idiots nor his beloved the wiser, Zeed was free to use the boy's body for his own purposes as long as he wished.

And he fully intended to do just that.

* * *

Although the errand at Factory Town had been hastily aborted, no one suggested when they would try again to continue Ken's experiment. The fact that he refused to let go of Ryo since his rescue was troubling enough that everyone silently decided to drop the subject and let Ken heal from what must've been an overwhelming trauma.

"So, uh," Ryo said awkwardly as he more hobbled than walked into Ken's bedroom; it was difficult to walk properly with Ken clinging to his side like a barnacle. Keiko outpaced them both, cradling Wormmon gently in her arms before placing the injured Digimon down onto the large bed. "I'm guessing you're too wound up to take a nap with Wormmon until he wakes up, huh?"

Zeed glanced over to Wormmon and managed to avoid wrinkling his nose in disgust, instead furrowing his puppet's brow in concern. "Is… is he going to be okay...?"

Keiko tucked the covers around Wormmon with a delicate touch. "Yes. He just needs to sleep for a while." She turned to smile kindly at Ken. "Your energy will help him heal in no time, Ken-chan, so don't worry."

Ken gave a small nod as he reluctantly removed one of his hands from its death-grip on Ryo's arm to wipe away tears that didn't exist. "O-okay…"

Zeed knew that it would take far longer than Keiko's platitudes implied. With him in control, Ken's energy flowed directly to him, leaving barely a trickle to Wormmon. It was far more convenient for him - the longer this vessel's meddling partner remained unconscious, the better.

"How 'bout we have Bokomon whip us up some grub?" FlaWizarmon asked. "I'm sure a good meal'll go a long way to help Wormmon recover."

"Sounds like a perfect idea to me~!" Witchmon said merrily, the cheerful sentiment echoed by a mewl of her ghostly cat.

Ryo rubbed the back of his head as he looked from the others to Ken. "Well… if we were back at my house I'd suggest we play video games until dinner, but that's going to be kind of hard here, so…"

"Let's take a bath together!" Ken said, far too eagerly. Zeed had often heard about humans bathing with each other, with their bare-naked bonding under the moonlight surrounded by steam and hot water. It was an opportunity he _relished_.

Ryo jerked, his eyes wide as he outright gawked at Ken. "Uh, what?"

"We could take a bath together!" Ken repeated, with wide-eyed innocence and a surprising firmness that encouraged no disagreement.

FlaWizarmon gave a blink before he glanced over to Witchmon. "Well, someone's certainly eager for some scrubbin'."

Witchmon cackled quietly. "I guess a bath would be good to wash away an awful day."

"I guess that settles it," Keiko said as she reached out to ruffle Ken's hair. "Enjoy your bath, Ken-chan." Her voice dropped low as she walked past Ryo and took note of his frozen face. "Don't give that look. You can wear swim trunks, you know."

Ryo flinched at how Keiko so easily saw through him, then again when she playfully poked his nose. He rubbed it with an embarrassed flushed to his cheeks. Even though bathing in groups was common in Japan, he and Ken were as uncomfortable with it as they came, so the young boy's sudden insistence was not only baffling, it spiked his anxiety to distressing levels. "R-right…"

While Zeed was appreciative of Keiko's assistance, he still couldn't forgive how casually she touched his beloved, acting as though she had any right to do so upon the merest of whims. Still, he was in no position to do anything about it and could only smile vapidly at the Chosen of Miracles. "Let's go, Ryo~!"

Ryo awkwardly smiled at the eager little boy, reaching up to rub the back of his head. "Ah, y-yeah, let's… go, I guess."

* * *

Ken was positively giddy as he surveyed the bath house surroundings. He supposed it was only natural for the Crystal Tower to have such accommodations. And having an entire floor dedicated to a massive onsen-style bath house were truly accommodations worthy of him, and his beloved.

Ken stood at the side of the massive pool, steam rising upward from the hot water. Faux rocks lined the back edge of the pool, blending perfectly with the meticulously placed tile that framed it. The only thing that was missing was a starry night sky with snow drifting downward, but Zeed was just fine without it. After all, an open air bath meant that _others_ could peek in to spy on Ryo's naked form.

 _Zeed_ was the only one allowed _that_ privilege.

Unfortunately, even Zeed seemed to be denied this day, as Ryo came out to the bath wearing a pair of swim trunks. The sight was enough to make Ken deadpan in spite of himself, his displeasure obvious on his face. Zeed cursed Keiko for that wretched suggestion. Even now, the Chosen of Darkness was the greatest thorn in his side.

Ryo blinked when he noticed Ken's expression and readjusted his hold on the bucket of bath supplies he held. "What's wrong?"

Ryo's words were quick to make Zeed aware of his mistake and he quickly replaced his scowl with a smile. "Noooothing~!" He then hurried over to Ryo, reaching for the bath supplies that the Chosen of Miracles carried. "I'll wash your back!"

Ryo gave a start, but didn't have enough time to utter a protest before Ken took the soap and a washcloth from the bucket and proceeded to lather it up as he raced around the Chosen of Miracles. "Ah, um…!"

"Don't worry, don't worry~!" Ken said, excitedly. "I'll be _very_ thorough~!"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ryo asked slowly, brow furrowed with confusion. "You're acting kind of… hyper?"

Ken paused at that. "O-oh? You think so?"

"Yeah," Ryo said, running his fingers through his hair. Try as he might, he couldn't get himself to relax, his gut twisting unpleasantly. He had to keep reminding himself that this was _Ken_ he was with and not some stranger. He trusted Ken. Even when Ken wasn't acting like Ken. "Is something on your mind?"

" _Well, obviously, you are, my beloved,_ " Ken thought, though he knew far better than to say that aloud. Instead, he gave the Chosen of Miracles the most reassuring smile he could muster. "No, not at all!" he said cheerfully. "I just wanted to make sure you're all nice and clean, because you're always helping me!"

Ryo wanted to accept what Ken said at face value, but he just couldn't shake the feeling of unease. It made him want to retreat and hide alone in his room for a while, but he couldn't let himself give in to what he _knew_ was irrational and selfish. It was weird for him to get these thoughts at any time, but especially when he was spending time with his friend. "You sure?"

"Absolutely!" Ken replied, still keeping his bright smile.

"If you say so," Ryo muttered. Though he was reluctant to let the matter drop, he couldn't actually do anything about it if Ken insisted everything was alright. The other boy seemed sincerely happy, ecstatic even. Although that extreme excitement was the reason behind his confusion - and he suspected it might have had something to do with his irrational discomfort - he supposed that he shouldn't bring Ken down by constantly questioning it.

Ken had an awful day. Ryo wasn't about to make it harder by abandoning him, especially not because of the unwanted random appearance of that crazy impulse that made the Chosen of Miracles want to run away instead of dealing with people.

Even as Ken continued to smile, inwardly Zeed made a mental note to be far more cautious when around his beloved. It would seem that the other Chosen Children didn't shower the boy with the praise he deserved, so he was unaccustomed to it. It was a travesty he fully intended to rectify with their _lives_ , but for the moment, he would have to make do.

"Whee!" a high pitched voice squealed a split second before there came a loud splash. The two boys turned just in time to be hit in the face with a surprisingly large wave from the osen pool.

Ryo sputtered and staggered back, wiping at his eyes to clear them. "What the?!"

Neemon surfaced from the massive pool, spitting out a long arc of water before flailing his noodly arms about, spraying water in every direction. "Swimming time! Swimming time!"

Ken jerked and whirled about, startled by the sudden appearance. "What-!?"

"Come on,everyone!" Neemon squealed. "The water's great!"

Instinctively, Ryo grabbed a nearby towel and tied it around Ken's waist to preserve his friend's modesty in case there were more Digimon coming. "Um… maybe you should get some swim trunks on too now," he whispered.

Ryo's instincts were proven correct as, even before Ken had a chance to respond, more Digimon started to appear from the changing area. They were mostly around the Child and Adult level, none that the Chosen Children were particularly close to, but recognized as working at Crystal Tower. Soon the bath was filled to the brim with Digimon of all shapes and sizes, turning what was supposed to be an intimate affair into a pool party with high levels of chatter and splashing in every direction.

Despite wearing swim trunks, the idea of taking a bath in front of so many people left Ryo feeling naked and exposed. Although no one was paying attention to them in particular, aside from respectful, cheerful greetings, the size of the crowd made his urge to run nearly impossible to fight.

"Uh…" Ryo mumbled as he shuffled back a step at a time towards the changing room. "…Maybe we should… come back later."

A slight tremor ran along Ken's arms before he clenched his hands into fists. What Ryo couldn't see from his vantage point was the look of pure rage and malice on the young boy's face, the illusion over his eyes flickering out as glowing gold peeked through while they focused on the Digimon in front of him. Even Zeed himself wasn't aware of it, as his thoughts only on the Digimon and how they were _ruining_ his most precious moment with his beloved.

He had researched this moment; he had learned all the techniques in preparation; he had watched every single fan service scene in every video game, anime, and light novel available. Yet, now that the moment was here, it was being ruined by _worthless drivel_ that did not even deserve to live, let alone share a bath with _his_ beloved.

 _For this insult, he would kill them all_.

Neemon froze mid-wave as he stared at Ken through inscrutable slitted eyes. The Digimon possessing the young boy didn't notice, nor care for his sudden loss of cheer.

However, what Zeed _did_ care about was the noxious explosion that followed a moment later as his senses were remotely assaulted over the connection between him and his puppet.

Ken jerked, startled out of his murderous rage by the sudden stinging stench that assaulted his eyes and nose. He clasped both hands over his nose as his eyes watered, the possessed boy struggling to comprehend what had just happened. "W-w-what-!?"

The foul fart fumes transformed the lighthearted revelry into the cries of the damned, as Digimon scrambled in all directions to vacate the area and escape the horrific assault on their senses. The ones closest to ground zero lay floating on the water, unconscious, their eyes spinning into spirals.

Ryo braved the horrific stench, racing back in with held breath to snatch up Ken and whisk his friend away to safety. Only when they reached the exhaust fan at the furthest end of the changing room did he dare to breathe again.

Ken sagged against one of the benches, coughing as he gulped down the untainted air. He had never experienced something so _horrible_ before. For such a ridiculous wretch to put not only him but his beloved through such torture, the Digimon possessing Ken would absolutely not let it slide. _I'll kill that bastard… I'll kill him… over and over…_

Ryo rubbed Ken's back, unable to offer much more in the way of assistance as he waited for his friend's fit of retching to die down. Guiltily, he felt more than a little relieved and grateful to Neemon for sparing him from an incredibly awkward moment. There was no way they or anyone else would be taking a group bath in that onsen any time soon.

* * *

Night could not have come fast enough. Ryo was absolutely worn. Once Ken had recovered from the bathing fiasco, the indigo haired boy had been practically _obsessed_ with doing as many activities as possible, much to his dismay. From baking cookies - which were eaten by Neemon before they could even be baked - to walks through the balcony gardens interrupted by Neemon seeking them out to complain the cookie dough didn't sit well with him, unleashing another awful fart that made the flowers wilt and forced the boys to run for their sense of smell. There seemed to be no end to Ken's ideas, or how they could be absolutely ruined.

Although it wasn't always Neemon who came to interrupt. It seemed as though practically everyone needed to talk to Ryo about something. Whether it was Leomon believing it was time to train, Higashi giving updates on Wormmon's condition, Bokomon searching for Neemon, or some other Digimon with something else to say, it seemed as though the world conspired against Ryo to drain him of his energy and wear away at his nerves by sending person after person to him who needed his time. Throughout it all, Ken was especially demanding of attention, which, at the end of the day, left Ryo utterly spent.

Dealing with so many people left Ryo sprawled across his bed, his brain completely fried. He felt like just hiding under the covers for the next few days until he could handle being around people again. Even Keiko coming to his rescue by whisking Ken away with some distraction had been difficult in his burnt out state. Still, he felt immensely grateful that she had noticed his distress and realized what to do, even when Ken misinterpreted it as a sign to be even more clingy and talkative.

The silence of the room was absolute bliss to Ryo. He focused on the cool air and the warming blankets, so silky soft against his skin. He thought of shapes and colors, nothing distinct and thus nothing that would add further pressure on him. In the safety of solitude, he could finally give his frazzled nerves a much needed rest.

That was, until he sound the door creak open, seconds before Ken peered his head into the room.

"Ryo, can I sleep with you?" Ken asked, so innocently. He didn't even bother with a whisper in case the Chosen of Miracles was already asleep.

Ryo felt dread drop into the pit of his stomach like a cold stone, as what little relief he gained instantly evaporated. Inwardly, he screamed in frustration, but outwardly he closed his eyes and hoped desperately that maybe Ken would leave if he pretended to be asleep. He hated having to trick his best friend, but he was absolutely _done_.

It seemed that Ken, or rather Zeed, wasn't about to be deterred by such a cheap trick, however. He waited mere seconds for his answer before he crept in anyway, closing the door behind him.

The sound of the door closing eased the tension from Ryo's body, eliciting a soft sigh. Finally, finally he could have time alone and give his mind a rest. Hopefully Ken would finally go to Keiko now to have fun with her. He simply couldn't understand why every time he suggested such a thing, Ken rejected the idea immediately. He almost suspected Ken was avoiding Keiko for some reason, but that was too ridiculous for words. If anything, the two usually were inseparable much of the time, to the point it made him a little jealous once or twice. Perhaps then this was karma getting him back for those petty thoughts.

The bed creaked, completely disrupting Ryo's line of thinking, as it confirmed that not only had Ken _not_ left but that he was climbing into the bed _anyway_.

Ryo couldn't help but groan, giving up his sleeping act. He opened his eyes and watched as Ken snuggled up against him without invitation. "Ken? I thought you'd want to sleep in your own bed with Wormmon tonight."

Ken paused at that before he did his best to school his expression. "It's just so… dark and quiet, and I'm afraid I might roll over on to him and…" He trailed off, meaningfully.

Ryo sighed, his heart going out to Ken. As he thought, his friend's excessive energy was related to Wormmon's comatose state. Despite how he felt, he pulled Ken close into a hug. "Hey… it's okay. Remember? Higashi said Wormmon will be okay."

Ken returned the hug enthusiastically, clinging tightly to Ryo. "I know…" It was difficult feigning that he cared about the useless dreck that was the insect Digimon in question, but Zeed was ever a professional. No matter how distasteful, it was a small price to pay for the ruse - and his beloved's time.

After getting comfortable, Ryo closed his eyes and tried once more to relax. In spite of this strange unease he felt around Ken all day, he had to remind himself that this was his best friend. They had sleepovers before, and they were hardly stressful, once he got used to them. Of course, they never slept in the same bed on those sleepovers, let alone holding each other, but he knew Ken was much more physical with his affection. Compared to the rest of their day together, this was nothing. There was no need to talk or spend energy constantly trying to do things. All they he had to do now was sleep, and he was more than ready for it after today.

Ken watched Ryo as the boy attempted to get comfortable in his embrace. It was so obvious to him that his beloved was stressed, and it was no small wonder why. That awful farting wretch had done quite a number on them both, which he would most certainly pay for at the first opportunity. Between all the drama and chaos, it was no wonder that the Chosen of Miracles was worn so thin. He could feel the tension in Ryo's muscles that his beloved so desperately tried to force to relax. Even in the dark, he could see the stress lines folding Ryo's face, painting a picture of exhaustion to rival any of their past battles.

" _My poor Beloved,_ " Zeed thought, with a sigh. " _You have to tolerate so much nonsense from the filth that surrounds you._ "

This was a problem Zeed needed to rectify. Now.

Or, rather, perhaps tomorrow, Zeed reconsidered as he listened to Ryo breathe. He wished he could feel it directly instead of second-hand as warm, rhythmic puffs of air stirred the hairs atop his puppet's head. Bit by bit, as minutes passed by, he could feel the tension bleed out of Ryo's weary body. As long as nothing else happened tonight to interrupt them, he could wait to perform much needed reform tomorrow.

Of course, if that yellow menace appeared one more time between now and dawn, Zeed was going to _promptly_ kill him.

Zeed had no more patience for that wretch, and his beloved couldn't take another moment of that thing's nonsense. For now, however, he was content with second hand sensations of warmth, and his vivid fantasies of Ryo holding _him_ close, holding his _real_ body instead of one of his puppets. This was more than enough as he waited for his beloved to recover from such a long day.

For now.

Now that Zeed had the perfect puppet to control, he could afford to be patient. He had all the time in the world to convince Ryo to love him.

* * *

Ryo was still asleep by the time Ken awoke. Although Zeed felt his irritation renewed when he noted how weary his beloved was and how it was nearing noon, such a thing was only a minor annoyance as he basked in the scene before him. The way the sun leaked in through the curtains, kissing Ryo's lightly tanned skin and making his brown hair shine was a glorious sight. Although Ken's body rumbled demands for food, Zeed ignored it as he simply basked in the view of his beloved curled up on the bed, defenses down and utterly, deliciously, _vulnerable_ beside him.

It was a scene plucked directly from one of Zeed's many fantasies.

Eventually, even such bliss had to end, as a knock on the door disturbed Zeed's little slice of paradise. At first, he intended to ignore the sound, but, much to his annoyance, the door opened and that little bane of his existence, the Chosen Child of Darkness, peered into the room.

"Oh good, you're finally awake," Keiko said cheerfully.

Ken was quick to hide his feelings behind a bright smile. "Good morning!"

"Good morning," Keiko said as she approached the bed, only to pause as she looked again. "Oh." She lowered her voice. "Ryo's still asleep, huh? Poor guy. I guess he got worn out after everyone wanted his attention yesterday."

Ken nodded, his expression genuinely sympathetic. "Yes, Ryo had a very rough day yesterday…"

Keiko took a hold of Ken's arm and gently tugged him towards the edge of the bed. "Come on, let's let him sleep a bit longer."

Ken hesitated as he felt a flare of irritation, but then followed after Keiko anyway. "Okay…" It was for his beloved's sake, not Keiko's, after all.

Keiko waited until after she led Ken into the hall where Nyamon was waiting and closed the bedroom door behind them. "Maybe we should leave Ryo alone today until he's ready to hang out with us again. I'm sure we could find something fun to do, right?" She practically beamed at Ken, her smile dazzling.

Such an expression might have moved Ken, but it only served to further annoy Zeed.

"I have to go check on Wormmon first," Ken said, keeping his words measured. Without waiting for a response, he quickly walked away from Keiko, heading back to his room.

The smile faded from Keiko's face as she watched Ken leave. She didn't want to believe that he was purposefully avoiding her, but between this and his strange behavior since yesterday, she couldn't help but wonder if something more was going on. The fact that Wormmon was still unconscious only added to her mounting concerns.

Nyamon's ears canted back as she watched Ken disappear around the corner at the end of the hall, then turned to Keiko. "What should we do?"

Keiko let out a displeased rumble at the back of her throat as she brushed back some errant hairs that fell in front of her face. "Let's let Ken-chan get something to eat before we start prying for answers."

It took a little prodding, but Ken eventually relented to go to the dining room for lunch - or late breakfast, in his case. With only a minimal amount of fuss, soon he was filling himself with food as he sat opposite Keiko and Nyamon at the massive table - far too massive for just the three of them.

"This food is quite delicious," Ken thought as he neatly cut his cooked sausages into bite-sized bits before delicately skewering them with his fork. Even through a proxy, the food's taste came through clearly. " _At least these buffoons are feeding Beloved properly,_ " he thought.

Keiko waited until Ken was halfway through the food before she began her probe. "So, how are you feeling today, Ken-chan?"

Zeed felt a bit of dust in his mouth. Leave it to the wretched girl to ruin good food by _talking_. He wanted to ignore this bane on his existence, but he knew better. "...Better."

"Really?" Keiko asked, cocking her head slightly. "You seem a lot less energetic than yesterday."

"I'm hungry, that's all," Ken said with little emotion. "You're imagining things."

FlaWizarmon furrowed his brow as he watched the exchange from the far wall, leaning against it with his arms crossed. He then turned a worried glance towards Witchmon who returned the look with a baffled expression of her own.

Keiko let out a quiet hum, leaning back in her seat. She took a moment to take in Ken's closed body language, how he refused to even look at her, and seemed almost distinctly unhappy in her presence. Her eyes skirted past Ken's head and she brightened. "Oh, good morning, Ryo!"

Ken immediately perked up and whipped his head around, bright eyes searching the doorway behind him. "Ryo?"

A few Digimon froze mid-step in the hallway, halting in wherever they were going to to cast a confused glance Ken's way. A couple looked at each other or around them, but there was no sign of Ryo anywhere among them.

Keiko propped her arms up onto the table and rested her chin on the back of her hands as she put on an extra pleasant smile. "Gee, it seems like you're really excited to spend time with Ryo lately, Ken-chan. Any particular reason why that is?"

Ken felt a wave of irritation, one that he couldn't hide from his face as he turned to stare at Keiko. "Who _wouldn't_ be excited to spend time with Ryo?" It was more of a demand than a question. He mentally dared Keiko to imply otherwise!

Keiko slowly cocked an eyebrow at such a response. That… was not what she expected. It didn't sound like the Ken she knew at all. Still, she managed to maintain a smiling facade and teasing tone as she continued probing for the truth. "Especially if they have a crush on him, riiiight~?"

Ken, or rather Zeed, jerked at that as the boy's face flooded with red. "W-w-what did you say!?"

" _Bullseye,"_ Keiko thought, her eyes narrowing playfully. "It's kind of obvious, isn't it? You've been following Ryo like a lovesick puppy all day yesterday. And convincing him to let you sleep with him? That's pretty daring for you, Ken-chan."

Ken continued to blush as he clasped his hands over his blazing cheeks. "T-that's ridiculous! P-preposterous! A-absolutely and completely…!"

FlaWizarmon quirked an eyebrow at Ken, both at the reaction and the strange words coming out of the boy's mouth. However, he quickly pushed it aside to focus on the sudden revelation with glee. "My, my… I wonder what ol' Osamu'd think of _that_?"

Ken paused at that, his expression going blank. He had no idea who they were talking about. It had to be a human, given the name, but it wasn't one he ever recalled coming across. But then, he couldn't be bothered to remember every inconsequential worm he came across. It wasn't as if any of them were important - they were, by definition, of no importance.

"Hmm?" Witchmon blinked and cocked her head, confused by Ken's reaction. "What's up, Ken-chan?"

Zeed immediately snapped to attention before he did his best to give Witchmon an innocent stare. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Witchmon furrowed her brow. "You kind of zoned out for a minute there. Everything okay, dearie?"

"Of course~!" Ken said, with a bright smile. "I guess I'm just _really_ hungry."

FlaWizarmon frowned before he glanced towards Keiko, to see her reaction to Ken's rather strange behavior.

Keiko hid her creeping discomfort behind a smiling mask, her suspicions only growing the more Ken spoke. There was something seriously wrong here. She needed take more drastic steps to uncover the truth, and, hopefully, disprove a creeping suspicion that turned her insides to ice. "Speaking of Osamu, you must be so excited for the upcoming trip to see her. Spending summer with your cousin in Hokkaido will be so much fun."

Ken kept his bright smile as he turned to Keiko. "Oh, yes, I'm very excited! I'm sure we'll have a great time together!"

Although Keiko kept her poker face intact, FlaWizarmon and Witchmon couldn't hide their shock. They outright gawked at Ken then shared a troubled look that silently asked the other what to do. Beside Keiko, Nyamon's eyes narrowed as her hackles bristled all along her spine.

The Digimon's reactions were enough to flag to Ken that something was wrong, but he still managed to keep his expression bright and cheerful as he smiled at Keiko.

Keiko continued her own bright facade even as her smile no longer reached her piercing red eyes. "Who are you?"

Ken tilted his head to the side as he fixed Keiko with a puppy-eyed stare of pure innocence, even as he furrowed his brow. "Huh? What do you mean? I'm Ken, Keiko."

The smiling mask was gone and Keiko straightened up in her chair, folding her fingers on the table in front of her. "What have you done with the _real_ Ken?"

Inwardly, Zeed cursed. However, he still didn't break his facade. Instead, the concern on Ken's face grew as he gave a small frown. "I… don't understand. What are you talking about?"

Keiko narrowed her eyes. "Drop the act." She held up three fingers. "I gave you three tests and you failed all of them. You don't know who Osamu is." Her index finger darkened. "You don't know Ken's plans." Her middle finger darkened. "And _Ken_ isn't the one who has a crush on Ryo." Her ring finger darkened then spread to the rest of her hand.

Zeed paused at that as he stared at Keiko, his expression going blank again. He was silent for a moment as he considered the Chosen of Darkness' words before his facade was finally abandoned, his expression going deadpan with a hint of irritation. "Ah."

Keiko pointed at the imposter before her as her dangerous aura of darkness spread across her body. "I'm only asking one more time. _Who are you and what have you done with Ken?_ "

Wordlessly, Nyamon lifted her claws to emphasize Keiko's threat, her eyes focused on Ken as her ears canted back.

Ken let a snort through his nose as he waved his hand dismissively. "How annoying… oh well, I really _can't_ be expected to remember _every_ insect… or every facet of their short, irrelevant lives." Seemingly nonplussed by Keiko's threat, Ken instead reached downward to grab the knife he had been using to cut his delicious sausages…

...And lifted it to point the tip directly at Ken's neck, hovering an inch over his jugular vein.

Fake or not, Keiko froze at the sight of a knife at Ken's throat. "What're you doing?"

Nyamon's eyes widened as her ears flicked straight up, even as she kept her claws at the ready.

Even FlaWizarmon and Witchmon stopped in their steps, having been circling around the table to either side of Ken in an attempt to flank him. Zeed couldn't help but feel a flush of smug satisfaction at their horrified and uncertain expressions.

"You asked where he is," Zeed replied, with an easygoing smile on Ken's face. "I'm simply pointing him out."

Keiko understood the implication immediately and was horrified. "H- _how_? How did you take control of Ken?"

Zeed smirked as he quirked an eyebrow, an expression that in no way belonged on Ken's face. " _Really_ , now? You ask that so plainly… did you truly think me so foolish as to give away my secrets simply because you _asked_?"

"Let him go," Keiko said, though the dimming of her aura gave away how little her threat meant when Ken's life was hanging in the balance. Even Nyamon lowered her claws reluctantly, her eyes never leaving Ken.

"No," Zeed's response was swift, his smirk widening in an obvious taunt.

FlaWizarmon grimaced, clenching his teeth so that his jaw hurt. He didn't dare move or say anything, not when such a sharp blade was pointed so closely to such a vulnerable area.

"Why you… _you…_ ," Witchmon snarled impotently as her ghostly cat pinned back its ears and hissed at the bodysnatcher.

Keiko dissipated the darkness around her completely, unwilling to risk hurting Ken even to intimidate Zeed. She ground her teeth as anger bubbled hot inside her, but she forced herself to remain calm. "What's it going to take to get Ken back, Millenniumon?"

A coy smile appeared on Zeed's face as he idly twirled the tip of the knife just barely above the skin. "Ho… now _that_ , my dear, is an _intelligent_ question."

Keiko kept silent, her narrowed eyes fixed entirely on the blade dancing so dangerously close to Ken's jugular.

Zeed hummed thoughtfully in his throat. It seemed that the situation wasn't a _total_ disaster after all. Even with getting exposed, he still had more than enough leverage to eke out a victory. The question simply remained - _what_ would he demand? The possibilities were _endless_. "Now, let me see…"

It was in that moment of distraction that Ryo seized his chance and Ken's wrists, forcing Zeed to drop the knife. "Hold it right there! You're not threatening my friends, Millenniumon!"

Zeed paused at that as his eyes widened, turning Ken's head to see Ryo pressed up behind him with only the chair and the puppet he used separating his beloved's body from his. Just as he began to wonder where Ryo had come from, his eyes slid past his beloved to the doorway directly behind where he sat. The irony was that he had specifically chosen this seat so that he could watch for Ryo's arrival. If only the Chosen of Darkness hadn't distracted him, he might have noticed Ryo overhearing their conversation sooner.

Still, Zeed's surprise and irritation quickly gave way to fondness, as he stared deeply into Ryo's blue eyes, filled with worry and overflowing with determination. "Ah, Beloved… of _course_ you'd show up now. You have such a knack for appearing at the most inopportune times - for me, at any rate. But that's just one of the many things I love about you~!"

Although the immediate threat to Ken was gone, everyone still hesitated to make a move, save for Nyamon snatching away all of the cutlery within arm's reach of Zeed should he escape Ryo's hold.

"Enough joking around, Millenniumon!" Ryo snapped, fairly quaking with anger. Although he hadn't heard everything, he knew that Zeed was controlling Ken's body like one of the many puppets they battled. "Let go of Ken right now!"

Zeed's smile didn't waver as he kept his eyes locked on Ryo. "Ah, there's no need for you to use _that_ name, my Beloved. I believe you have more than earned the right to call me by my name - _Zeed_."

Ryo blinked, caught off-guard by the unexpected change in topic. "Zeed?"

"I've noticed that you humans have given yourselves names - _personal_ epitates that belong to no one but yourself," Zeed replied, his voice a smooth purr that didn't fit Ken in the slightest. "The concept seems so bizarre, and yet… so perfect. And clearly, who is more deserving of such an honor than myself? So I have chosen a name, and I am bestowing the honor if its use upon you." He paused before his eyes narrowed. "And no one else."

"That…" Ryo paused, faltering for a moment, before scowling. "That isn't even _remotely_ the point here! Let Ken go!"

Zeed's easy going smile returned. "My Beloved, even you must realize that you're asking quite a bit of me. It's perfectly normal to be a little greedy, but try to keep things in perspective, won't you?"

"What do you mean?" Keiko asked, her voice sharper than the knife Zeed had used to threaten Ken's life.

"Why would I _ever_ give up my ability to see you _whenever_ I wish?" Zeed asked as he tilted his head. "With absolutely no _compensation_ , at that! You're such a greedy boy, my Beloved~!"

Ryo felt sick to his stomach. "This isn't a joke, Zeed! Give Ken his body back right now!"

"Beloved," Zeed drawled his words, slowly. "Do you truly believe I would _joke_ about this?"

The sickening feeling twisted in Ryo's gut and turned cold. He knew. He knew Zeed wasn't going to just let Ken go, likely not even after they gave in to whatever terrible demands he might make.

They were completely at his mercy and Zeed knew it.

Keiko slammed her hands against the table as she leapt to her feet so fast that she knocked her chair aside. "You're not getting away with this, _Zeed_! If you won't give Ken back, then we'll force you right out of him!"

Zeed's expression deadpanned before he turned to face Keiko, irritation at being interrupted clear on his face.

"And without anything sharp to reach, you won't be doing any _cutting_ , now will ya?" FlaWizarmon agreed, flashing Zeed a smug grin.

"So you're out of options." Nyamon said as she gave a sharp nod.

Witchmon flashed her razor sharp teeth in a smile that held no mirth. "Give up now or just sit back and watch as we cure Ken and kick you to the curb."

"Hooooh," Zeed let out a low hum before his smirk returned. "Is that _so_?" He tilted his head, unable to contain his smugness. "Tell me, do you truly believe me so _helpless_?" Amusement sparkled on his face at their confused stares. "I may not understand human anatomy, but there do appear to be _some_ things that we share." In an instant, his smirk turned into a sneer. "Tell me, what if I were to… _bite off_ this boy's tongue? What do you think would happen first - _bleeding out_ or _choking on his own blood_?" As if to punctuate his words, Zeed made a show of sticking out Ken's tongue all the way before pressing his upper and lower teeth down on it, causing the tender flesh to puff slightly.

Everyone froze, the threat rendering them all utterly immobile with fear. In that instant, Ryo felt his heart stop. All of the battles, the brushes with death, the traps, the bombs… the innocent victims caught in the crossfire… those traumatizing near misses flashed before his eyes. When his heart resumed beating at twice the speed, pulsing in his ears like thunder, and the world slowed down as fear and _rage_ overtook him.

" _Get out_!" Ryo shrieked, throwing all of his emotion into it as a dazzling golden glow flared to life around him. For a moment, he was as brilliant as the sun as he sent that light right through Ken and directly into Zeed.

Whatever response Zeed was about to retort was instantly silenced by a stunned squeak as he felt a powerful impact against his body, as if a wall slammed into him. In an instant, Zeed was thrown directly out of Ken and, back in his throne room. The momentum of that energy knocked his small furry draconian body flying from his throne and rolling across the room like a tumbleweed.

Back in the dining room, Ken's expression went blank before he sagged against Ryo, collapsing like a limp rag doll.

"Ken!" Ryo shouted in a panic, the golden light now completely gone. He held Ken close until Witchmon pulled the boy away and checked inside Ken's mouth.

Witchmon sagged with relief. "Good. No blood and everything looks intact."

FlaWizarmon let out a weary sigh as he pulled the brim of his hat down over his eyes. "Thank the gods…"

Nyamon similarly let out a sigh as her ears drooped before she turned to Keiko. "For the moment, at least…"

Keiko hurriedly rounded the table to look Ken over for herself. Although seeing no injuries offered a small measure of relief, it was nowhere near enough to calm her, and she soon turned to FlaWizarmon and Witchmon with wide, wild eyes. "How could this happen?!"

Only one possibility came to Ryo's mind, which left his mouth the moment it sprang into being. "Piemon."

Keiko instantly focused on Ryo. "Piemon…?"

Grimacing as the memory replayed in his head, Ryo lightly tapped Ken's back just below the neck. There wasn't even a mark left behind of the injury at this point, but he still remembered exactly where it had been. "That night… that attack. It must've done something to him." He faltered for a moment, words starting to fail him the more he tried to explain what was little more than a gut feeling, and he ran his fingers through his hair as frustration grew. "Maybe… maybe it was kind of worm? The kind of virus program that invades a computer system and takes it over from the inside. Since we're technically data when we come here…" He couldn't hide his uncertainty as he looked to the others. "I know it sounds weird, but it's the only thing I can think of."

FlaWizarmon's eyes widened at that, as the revelation not only fit everything in to place but brought a second revelation along with it. "Ken-chan wasn't Piemon's intended target, and neither was Lady Keiko."

"Zeed wanted to control…" Witchmon trailed off as she saw Ryo's gaze drop to the floor, guilt naked on his face.

Keiko felt her blood turn cold, her hands trembling at her sides before she whipped out her Digivice. "We have to get Ken-chan back to Earth. _Now_!"

* * *

Demon knew far better than to look at his master, instead keeping his eyes safely on the far distance as Zeed righted himself from his undignified position on the floor. "Shall you regain control and kill the boy in retaliation for their insolence, my lord?"

Zeed stumbled to his feet and gave a mighty shake of his head before he curled his lips up to bare his sharp teeth. " _Yes_!" He snapped his jaws together. "I'll disembowel him in front of that _bitch_! How _dare_ she-!"

The furred draconian Digimon whipped about to lash his claws at his own throne, which shattered to pieces upon impact. Demon flinched before he glanced at the bits of data as they drifted upwards, misshapen before they dissolved into nothing.

Zeed stood panting, not from the exertion but the sheer amount of _anger_ that sent his fur bristling and his tail lashing wildly about him. He remained like that for nearly half a minute before his anger began to wane as he regained his composure, his tail slowing as well as his heavy breathing.

The mighty child Digimon gave a snort, as if expelling the rest of his anger, before he straightened up. "No."

"No, my lord?" Demon asked, finally daring to turn to his master.

Zeed didn't look at Demon as he instead gestured to where his throne had sat preciously. Golden data began to form before a new throne appeared, identical to the one he had destroyed. Once satisfied with the shape of his new seat, he trotted over to make himself comfortable once more.

"No, I won't," Zeed said as he slouched back against the plush cushions. "He's still a valuable tool. I can watch and see what my Beloved is doing whenever I wish. I would be foolish to throw away such an important toy simply because that _bitch_ somehow surprised me - especially since I cannot replace him."

"They will no doubt attempt to discover a way to remove your ability to control the boy, or take preventative measures," Demon said.

"First and foremost, I suspect they'll panic and fling the boy back to Earth, thinking it will place him out of my area of influence," Zeed said with a small shrug. "Which I'll allow, for now. Perhaps the false sense of security will make them lower their defenses once more, giving me another opportunity to strike."

"That may take some time, my lord," Demon said.

Zeed flashed his general a smirk. "I have all the _time_ in the _world_."


	36. Chapter 36

" _I can't go back to the Digital World?"_

 _The words tumbled out of Ken's limp mouth with all the weight of a prisoner repeating their death sentence. He almost felt betrayed, staring up at Keiko with, wide, haunted eyes._

 _He should've known something was wrong when he woke up in a strange new place. It was almost like a fancy hotel room, but Wormmon happened to be sleeping beside him. Confused and disoriented, it took him some time to remember what had happened before he went to sleep. Only snippets of Factory Town remained - his work on the D-Terminals and fragments of his kidnapping. All he could imagine was that his friends had rescued him, but why had they not brought him back to Crystal Tower?_

 _When Keiko arrived to check up on him, Ken felt relieved and so did she, but soon the smile disappeared from her eyes. That was when she sat down beside him to deliver the news that left him devastated._

" _I'm sorry," Keiko said before taking Ken's hands in his. Then she explained the reason why, and he almost wished she hadn't._

 _Ken was left feeling dirty, used, and afraid. He had seen the puppets Millenniumon had controlled. The idea that he could become one the second he returned to the Digital World to threaten his friends into doing whatever horrible thing that monster wanted…_

 _He wanted to throw up._

" _It'll be okay, Ken-chan," Keiko said gently as she held the Chosen of Kindness in a comforting embrace. "We'll figure out how to cure whatever Millenniumon did to you. I won't let him keep you away from home forever."_

 _Home. That was exactly it. Ken felt as though he had been thrown out of his home, the only place that truly accepted him and made him feel wanted. As dangerous as the Digital World was, Crystal Tower was a wonderful place, and the more he thought of his adventures, he recalled other places he enjoyed. The Village of Beginnings and its childish wonder, Factory Town with its impressive machines and contrary nature… There were so many places now completely closed off to him._

 _It wasn't fair._

 _When Ken eventually digested the news and could focus past the injustice of it all, he thought of Ryo and felt guilty. Here he was focused entirely on_ _ **his**_ _suffering while his best and oldest friend had spent a day with Zeed, and, from the sound of it, it seemed as though Zeed had intentionally set off Ryo's social anxiety. The diabolical mastermind was truly sick to figure out and exploit one of Ryo's greatest weaknesses._

" _Is Ryo here?" Ken asked. "I want to apologize…"_

 _Keiko sighed and held her head, the reaction sending a jolt of panic through Ken. "Ken-chan, what Millenniumon did isn't your fault. You don't have anything to apologize for… and it's not a good idea for you to see Ryo until you're cured."_

 _Ken felt his insides go cold. "Why not?"_

 _Leaning back, Keiko made a vague gesture in front of her. "Remember that thing that brought you to the Digital World in the first place? The mysterious gold light? Zennyu says he and Higashi figured out what might've caused it after the whole thing with Diablomon."_

 _There was an uncomfortable pause before Keiko continued. "It seems Zeed figured out a way to use Ryo's crest against him. Miracles is basically the Digital World, so, I guess he's somehow tapping into it to use it to zap Ryo to the Digital World whenever he wants, or lock him out, and anyone nearby who can go gets sucked in with him. That's why Wormmon wound up trapped in Turkey with Ryo."_

 _It made a cruel kind of sense, one Ken didn't want to accept. Unfortunately, the world - both worlds - didn't care about what he wanted. Reality only wanted to come up with new, terrible ways to crush his soul._

* * *

That moment haunted Ken far more than any of his past experiences, even the near death he had experienced at the hands of Piemon or the nuke. It was a moment that his illusions about his own worth were finally shattered - even as a Chosen Child, he was _still_ a burden.

Osamu's jabs came back with full force, the barbs digging into him. The fact that Osamu had been _right_ all along made the sting all the more painful. He really _had_ been playing hero, and everyone else had humored him until they could no longer afford to do so.

But while the temptation to sit and cry in his room was strong, there was also a sort of desperation that drove him beyond his sorrow. Maybe he really was delusional, but he wasn't willing to accept his fate just yet. If he could prove to be even the slightest bit useful, maybe he would finally stop being a burden. Maybe he'd finally have a right to exist.

Ken sat in the closet of their bedroom, surrounded by equipment as he focused on his last hope to his own worth - his D-Terminals. He had cleared out all the useless items that had previously occupied the closet, stacking them high against the wall to give him as much space as possible. Tools and bits of equipment scattered around him as he sat isolated in the small room, he poured his heart and soul into the project.

It was all he had left.

Ken furrowed his brow as he chewed on his pencil, grinding his teeth in frustration as he looked over his half-built prototype and the sketchpad he was using as a notebook. He stared hard at the drawing in front of him, glancing between it and his device. "Okay, so… if I..."

"What're you doing?" Osamu asked, peering into the closet and down at his little brother, who jerked with a yelp in surprise. "You've been hiding in here all day. What's going on?"

Ken paused at that but didn't turn to face Osamu. "I'm working."

"On what?" Osamu asked.

Ken was immediately suspicious. The fact that Osamu wasn't studying was the first red flag, and the fact that his older brother was trying to pry into his affairs was the second. He needed to be careful how he responded, or risk having Osamu freaking out on him again. "I'm making something."

Osamu crouched down to get a closer look at Ken and the mysterious project. "What is it? Can I see?"

Ken wanted to refuse his brother, but knew better than to do it. "Um, okay..." He moved to the side, giving Osamu a glimpse of his prototype, even as he desperately wanted to hide it. "It's not done, but…"

Osamu looked over the sketches of circuitry and parts along with neatly detailed note, his interest piquing. His tired eyes lit up with curiosity as he unthinkingly took the notebook and eagerly looked the pages over. "Did you come up with all this this yourself?"

Ken gave a tentative nod as he anxiously watched Osamu, waiting for his brother to say or do something to shoot down his ideas. Osamu was a genius, after all - leagues more intelligent than he was. And it just seemed that with the way the world was going, it was only fitting that his brother get a shot in too.

"This is brilliant!" Osamu said with a wide smile, his eyes sparkling as he met his little brother's gaze. "If we made these changes to our computer, it'd be better than anything on the market!"

Ken stared at Osamu, expression going blank. Even though he understood the words coming out of his brother's mouth, his brain couldn't process them. "H-huh?"

Osamu flipped to a particular page and pointed to part of the schematics. "I mean, just look here. You solved the efficiency issue that Dr. Watanabe said couldn't be cracked in that recent interview. I think they were offering some sort of cash reward if anyone came up with a solution. You could probably sell this and make enough money to buy every video game you want."

Ken blinked slowly before his eyes widened. "You… you really like it?" While Osamu had said some other incredible things, nothing compared to the sudden realization that his brother was _praising_ him. At least, it sounded like it, even as he was afraid to believe his ears. "Y-you're not just saying that?"

The question made Osamu falter for a moment, blinking blankly at Ken for a moment before his brow furrowed. "Why would I do something like that? If I lied that you were doing something great when you were screwing up, you'd just keep messing up and it'd screw you over."

Ken hesitated at that before he furrowed his own brow. "I… I guess that's true…"

Osamu flipped to another page, taking a moment to read the notes. "You know, if you rearranged transistors here to here," he tapped on the schematic, "it might allow you to get get a better power output in this area." He paused and let out a hum, reconsidering his own suggestion.

Ken looked at the page before lifting his eyes to Osamu. The whole exchange felt surreal, like a dream. "I-I thought about it, but… I can't think of a good way to make sure it doesn't overheat and melt the circuit board…"

Osamu hummed again as he turned the page and double checked the sizes. "You're right. You can't have much in the way of cooling if what you're making is this small. Maybe you could scale up the casing. A desktop should have more than enough room for extra fans." He vaguely gestured over his shoulder at the computer that displayed some unfinished document he had been working on.

Ken glanced at the computer before turning his attention to the device. "I-I wanted to keep it small, like a handheld… so that if anything were to happen again, I could… call and not…" He trailed off, then grimaced. He hadn't meant to reveal so much, and was sure his brother would figure out what he was saying.

Osamu paused at that, his enthusiasm diminishing and quieting his voice as a certain incident immediately sprang to mind. "Like when the nuke fell?"

Ken hesitated before giving a tiny nod, his eyes lowering to the floor.

"I see," Osamu muttered. "Then we definitely need to keep it portable." He rubbed his chin as his gaze drifted away. "Maybe we could talk Mom and Dad into giving us enough money to make two of them… maybe I could submit some more research papers to magazines to get some extra money that way. Making something this groundbreaking won't be cheap unless you sell the rights to some company, but you don't want to deal with people like _them_. Those money hungry parasites will eat you alive."

Ken was surprised by Osamu's reaction - or rather, the fact that it wasn't an _angry_ reaction - and instead found himself hopeful again. "A-actually, I don't need to worry about getting parts," He turned to gesture towards the parts scattered around him. "I-I can get more than enough to make as many as I want!"

Osamu blinked at Ken, surprised, only for his mood to sour a moment later. "From the _Digimon_ , right?"

Ken paused at that. While it was the truth, he could tell that the knowledge was quickly tainting the moment. Even if it was selfish not to defend his friends, he really couldn't deny that he wanted Osamu to continue praising him. He needed to think fast if he intended to recover. "A-actually, no… um, Keiko's brother owns a business, so…"

"Oh, her," Osamu said, though he didn't exactly sound thrilled by it. Still, he wasn't quite as irritated as when he mentioned Digimon. "I looked up stuff about her. You should be careful and try not to deal with her family. The Ryuzaki are said to have ties to the yakuza and might even be a yakuza family. It'd be safest for you to just deal with her instead of them if you're going to spend time with her no matter what I say anyway."

Ken did his best to make an innocent face even as he felt sweat appear on the back of his neck. "I… just asks for parts and she gets them for me. I'm sure that won't get scary… right?"

Osamu folded his arms over his chest and scoffed. "As long as her brother isn't getting the parts by throwing people into garbage compactors, it should be fine."

Ken outright gaped at his brother, his reaction completely genuine this time. "Eeeh!? Is… is that even possible!?"

Osamu's eyes darkened as he gazed intently at Ken. "What I just said is a real incident a former associate of the yakuza had the 'pleasure' of seeing firsthand. There are other stories even worse than that. Even if it wasn't the Ryuzaki specifically, crime families do stuff like that, and they can exist anywhere, in big or small towns. Hell, your friend Keiko actually is attached to _two_ of them! There's not a lot about the Makuras online, mostly that they live in this small town called Onigara, but I found a rumor that people who mess with that family wind up disappearing."

Ken felt a chill run up his spine as he trembled. He had never really considered it before then, but suddenly it dawned on him that maybe Keiko's family was far more incredible - and _intense_ \- than he realized. It also explained her mother and how the awful woman could accomplish so much in terrorizing her daughter. "T-that's… scary..."

"Yeah," Osamu muttered, his eyes drifting down to the notes to avoid looking at his brother's pale face. "I guess if I was someone like her, I'd buy the whole chosen hero thing too and run away to another world if it meant not being surrounded by killers all the time. At least monsters show you that they're monsters on the outside. I'm kind of surprised she actually wanted to go back to them."

Ken frowned at that before he lowered his eyes to the notes. He wanted to try and argue with his brother and defend Keiko, but he suspected it would only make the conversation worse. It was better to end the conversation before Osamu said anything else, and move on to a better topic. "...Hey, um, I… I was actually in the middle of… a problem with my prototype. I-I know you're busy but, do you… um… maybe..."

Just like that, Osamu's eyes sparked to life as he met his brother's gaze with a cocky grin. "Are you kidding? I'd love to work on something like this! With the two of us working together, we'll make something incredible that the world's never seen before."

Ken's own eyes immediately lit up. "R-really!? It won't be a bother?"

Osamu snorted, eyes rolling to the sky as his grin turned crooked. "Really? You show me something like _this_ and think I _wouldn't_ want to drop everything and join in on the fun?" He made a show of wagging his finger and winked. "You don't know me at all, little brother."

Ken's smile widened as the brightness in his eyes spread to the rest of his face. It was like finding an oasis in a desert, and he couldn't help but want to desperately drink from it. "O-o-okay! Th-then…!"

The happiness spread to Osamu too and shined on his face. After far, far too long, he and his little brother were going to spend time together doing something that excited both of them. Even when their parents tried to interfere again, as would often happen whenever they played a game, he could easily lie and claim work like this was a science project for school, one that they _both_ needed to work on. "What're we waiting for then? Let's get started!"


	37. Chapter 37

The Ryuzaki residence was alive with music and activity, guests filling all the luxurious rooms as they enjoyed the massive party hosted by Jin and Mina. From entertainment to food, the two spared no expense, ensuring that their guests would have much to do - and much to talk about afterward.

It was something that Keiko still wasn't used to. While there had certainly been parties at the Makura residence, she was never allowed to really attend. She'd make an appearance, perhaps put on a performance for that woman to receive praise over, and then rushed out of sight, like a bird put back in her cage. She certainly wasn't allowed to enjoy any of the food, even if the party was supposedly for her own birthday; it would've ruined her strictly regimented diet.

The feeling of watching on as the other children devoured her birthday cake as she was ushered away immediately after snuffing out the candles was one that she would always remember. And that memory was the reason why her plate was currently covered in nothing but cake - all of the cake.

Nyamon watched her partner with an amused smile. Her own plate wasn't too much more balanced, with a hearty helping of confectionaries for herself, but she at least snagged a few pieces of choice meat to go with her sugary morsels. "Take your time, the food's not going anywhere."

"The best slices are always taken first," Keiko said sagely despite the giddy smile on her face. "I just made sure I was the one to take them."

"From every cake here," Nyamon replied wryly.

"Exactly," Keiko giggled before scooping up a buttercream rose with her fork and popping it into her mouth.

Nyamon chuckled before she turned her attention to her own plate. "Well, no one has a right to complain, so…"

"If someone does complain about my baby sister, they're going to find themselves missing a few teeth afterwards."

Keiko immediately turned to see Akane approaching from behind her. She began to say her sister's name through a mouthful of buttercream, only to stop and cover her mouth on instinct before swallowing.

Akane had her arms full, not of food, but with a toddler in each arm. Keiko already knew Sera to the right, prompting her to unconsciously tucked her hair back over her shoulders, but the child in Akane's left arm was one less familiar - a little boy Keiko only remembered being mentioned before.

The little boy was small, shockingly pale, with short, fluffy black hair and light gray eyes. He wheezed as he breathed, a little plastic tube attached to his nose that trailed off to somewhere behind him. Colorful bandages with smiling cartoon characters peeked out of his sleeves and pants, and some sort of pack bulged underneath the back of his shirt.

Keiko lost the sweetness of the buttercream on her tongue as she stared at the sickly little boy. "That's… Tsuyosa, right? The boy you're… nannying?" She faltered on the term, not sure if that was the correct way to put it.

Akane smiled in spite of Keiko's reaction. "That's right. This is Kigaru's pride and joy."

Keiko paused for a moment to remember the name, brow furrowing. "Kigaru is your husband… Mamoru's friend, right? The guy who owns that big company?"

Akane nodded with an affirmative hum, enthused by the guess. "Right, right! He's my friend too. The five of us have gotten very close since Tsu and Sera were born."

Tsuyosa stared at Keiko intently, tilting his head slightly. His eyes were bright with fascination, as if he were scrutinizing her with great interest.

Keiko noticed Tsuyosa staring, that both babies were watching her. She also noticed how their clothes, well dressed but rumpled, matched in shades of purple and light blue, and that Sera held a stuffed doll with a crazy looking smile. The scrutiny made her feel more than a little self-conscious, as she had no idea how to interact with children so young that they could barely talk.

Nyamon turned to smile at her partner. "I guess children can't help but like you."

A gruff snort came from beside Keiko and Nyamon as Narakumon crossed his arms. "Who knows what these undeveloped humans think at this age? Do they even have thoughts-"

Tsuyosa turned his head to look at Narakumon, causing the Digital God to stop mid-sentence, stiffening beside Keiko in shock. Tsuyosa gave a small blink as he tilted his head in the opposite direction, then returned his gaze to Keiko.

Akane noticed Keiko's awkward stance and let out a quiet chuckle. "Would you like to spend some time with these two?" She giggled again at the startled look on her little sister's face. "Babies aren't scarier than Digimon, are they? Don't worry, they'll be less intimidating once you get to know them."

Mortification flushed Keiko's cheeks with heat. "I-I'm not scared of them!"

"Excellent," Akane said before nodding her head to the side. "Then let's go to the playroom. They've been excited to play with their cousin Sakura all day."

"I guess s…" Keiko paused, brow furrowing. "Wait, their cousin?"

Now it was Akane's turn to look sheepish. "Ah, that's…" She faltered for a moment before rambling out an explanation. "Well, Kigaru has always been like a brother to my Mamo-chan, and I've been helping take care of Tsu so long that he's started calling me 'Mama' and treats Sera like his twin more than a friend." She let out an embarrassed laugh. "Sera's actually started calling Kigaru 'Papa' too like Tsu, and both of them call Mamo-chan 'Dada'. It's so cute that none of us have the heart to tell them otherwise, and we kind of enjoy being co-parents for each other's kids."

Keiko was silent for a long moment as she let Akane's explanation sink in. "Oh."

Nyamon blinked at that before she tilted her head. "Well, if it makes everyone happy, who cares? Blood isn't the most important thing when it comes to bonds. Sometimes, it means nothing at all."

Keiko nodded, her confusion fading into something much more solemn and certain. "Right. I'm not even the same species as Papa and Mama, but I won't trade them for any other mom or dad in either world."

Narakumon glanced at Keiko, his expression softening even as a light flush of embarrassment appeared on his face.

Akane relaxed and let out a breathy laugh. "Exactly. So go ahead and think of Tsu as your nephew too, okay? I'm sure that'd make him very happy." She looked down at the children, her smile widening. "Hey, hey, can you two say 'Auntie Keiko'?"

"'Ntie Keike!" Sera chirped as she reached out towards Keiko with the doll, who grasped onto it with some reluctance. "'Ntie! 'Ntie!"

"Auntie Keiko," Tsuyosa said after a pronounced pause. His voice was somewhat raspy, much like his breathing, but was still clear enough to hear.

Keiko swung the doll a little, eliciting a giggle from Sera who tugged on it and tried to swing it even further. However, her attention was more focused on Tsuyosa, as she stared at him in bafflement. She was used to babytalk from Sera and Sakura, and Tsuyosa appeared to be around their age, yet he spoke with surprising confidence in the shape of his words. "Wh… how old is Tsu?"

"He's going to be two in a couple weeks," Akane said before pausing to readjust her hold on the children. "And Sera is going on 18 months now."

"He's pretty smart," Nyamon said, with a blink.

Akane winked. "Indeed he is. That's what you get when your daddy's a genius."

"He's wise beyond his years," Narakumon said softly. He stiffened again when Tsuyosa glanced in his direction, though he softened a moment later. "He's been through many things."

Nyamon turned to stare at Narakumon, but he refused to meet her quizzical gaze.

Keiko considered what to say, but noticed Akane's attention drift. She followed her sister's gaze to some people staring at them. Although this party had been thrown by her family, there were others invited as well for one reason or another, and the certain looks those people were giving them told her that even her siblings had social obligations with judgemental people. It left her skin crawling, reminding her of the parties that woman threw.

"Come on," Akane said cheerfully, snapping Keiko back to the present. She smiled as her little sister turned back to face her. "Let's get to the playroom before these two start getting restless."

Keiko looked back down at the tiny children and nodded in spite of her reluctance.

* * *

The playroom at the Ryuzaki mansion was very large and filled to the brim with toys of all sorts. With so many guests, there were already children running around, laughing and chattering as nannies and au pairs tried to keep up with their charges.

Keiko felt distinctly out of place in such a setting. She had never really been allowed to play with other children at any age, so it left her awkwardly trailing behind her sister as Akane set Sera and Tsuyosa down onto a plush couch.

"There we go," Akane said in a singsong tone. "Now, you two wait here with Auntie Keiko while I look for Sakura, okay?"

Sera instantly climbed to her feet, bouncing up and down on the couch. "Sakura!" she shouted above the din, waving her doll around. "Sa - ku - ra! Sakura! Sakura! Sakura!"

The answer came quickly, as Sakura's voice chimed out like a bell across the room. "Seeeeeeraaaaa!"

Akane blinked then laughed as she watched her little niece race past the other children towards them. "Well, I suppose that works too."

When Keiko saw Sera leap off the sofa, she instinctively cried out, startled, but was surprised to see her little niece tumble into the fall and recover quickly, racing off on surprisingly steady legs to tackle Sakura into a hug. "Wow…"

Akane chuckled wryly and gestured Keiko to sit in the seat Sera just vacated. "That's Sera. She's very active." She straightened up and dusted off her pants. "Well, I better keep an eye on those two before they try sneaking off to get into some mischief. How about you and Tsu sit and talk? You can read him a story if you like."

Keiko glanced at the bookcase Akane gestured to and placed her plate of cake on one of the higher shelves, out of reach of little grabby hands, before finally sitting down. "Okay, sure, but doesn't Tsu want to play too?"

Akane smiled, though there was sadness in her eyes. "Yes, he might, but if not, I'm sure he'll be happy to spend some time with his long-lost auntie, right Tsu?"

Tsuyosa silently nodded, a timid smile on his face.

Keiko wasn't sure how to respond to that, and watched as Akane hurried off to the other side of the playroom where Sera and Sakura were already trying to scale a rather sizable slide the wrong way.

Rather than race off after Sera, Tsuyosa instead moved closer to sit beside Keiko. He was silent and mostly still, save for a small movement to reach over and grip her hand. His own hand wasn't big enough to take it in his own, so he ultimately grasped her pointer and middle finger with his tiny hands.

The action startled Keiko and left her feeling even more at a loss for what to do. She faltered, hesitating for a long, uncomfortable moment, before clearing her throat. "So, uh… What do you like to do, Tsu?"

"Sit," Tsuyosa replied after a moment. "Read."

Keiko's eyebrows shot up. "You already know how to read?"

Tsuyosa nodded.

"Wow," Keiko muttered before her expression softened to something fond. "You should meet my friend Ken-chan sometime. He's a genius too, like you."

Tsuyosa tilted his head before he gave Keiko a soft smile.

Narakumon watched Tsuyosa intently, his expression troubled. However, he opted not to voice his thoughts, instead mulling in silence.

Unfortunately for him, Nyamon was paying attention this time, catching the expression on his face. "What is it?"

Narakumon paused at that and shot Nyamon a quizzical glance, which was met by Nyamon's cool stare.

"You've been acting weird," Nyamon replied, flicking her ear.

Narakumon's expression grew annoyed, though it softened again when Keiko turned to look at him. Even still, he hesitated with his response. "The boy. He can… sense me. Somewhat."

"Eh?" Keiko blinked before she looked at Tsuyosa and followed the little boy's gaze as it lingered on Narakumon again. "What does that mean, Papa? Not even the other Chosen Children can see you like this."

"It means he has a high affinity for Darkness… and by extension, death," Narakumon replied. "Though not nearly on the same level as you."

Keiko stared at her adoptive father in disbelief before she looked back at Tsuyosa. "So then… Tsu could become a Chosen Child of Darkness… like me?"

"It's… possible," Narakumon said, reluctantly. "Though unnecessary."

Keiko nodded slightly, furrowing her brow. "I guess so. Chosen Children aren't natural after all…"

Narakumon gave a small nod, though his frown increased. "Still, for his affinity to be so well-developed this early in life…"

Keiko felt a quiet sense of unease settle in from the tone of her papa's voice and she turned back to Narakumon. "Do you think bad humans did something to him too? Like when they made me and the others Chosen Children?"

Narakumon's gaze shifted to the tube attached to the boy's nose, and the little device it in turn was attached to by his back. "No. I believe… that life in general has been cruel to him."

"What do you mean?" Keiko asked quietly, though a part of her felt that she would regret asking.

Narakumon looked like he was about to respond before he stopped. He gave a small shake of his head before he looked away. "It's nothing. Nothing for you to be worried about… for either of us to be worried about."

Keiko frowned and straightened up, leaning closer to Narakumon as she slapped her hand down on the armrest of the sofa. "Papa, I'm not going to stop worrying just because you told me to. Tell me what's going on with Tsu."

Narakumon was silent for a moment before he lowered his head. "He's simply… a rather ill child. I'm sure his early years have been rough. But his parents are doing what they can, so there's no point in getting involved."

Despite the reassurance, Keiko felt herself being wound up all the more by Narakumon dancing around the subject as the gears in her head spun towards an increasingly sinister suspicion. "Tsu's my nephew, so I'm already involved."

"You just met him," Narakumon replied.

"That doesn't matter," Keiko said firmly as she slapped her hand down on the armrest again to emphasize her point. "Blood doesn't matter. Tsu is family too, Papa."

Narakumon was about to retort when he paused, noting several women suddenly glancing at them both rather intently. "Keiko, we're being watched."

Though annoyed by the change in topic, Keiko looked to where Narakumon gestured. Three well dressed women, socialites by the look of them, were leaning close to each other just outside the playroom. Even over the sound of squealing children running around and playing, their "whispering" was far too loud not to be intentional.

"Look at that one," said the woman with pearls around her throat.

"Oh, I know," her replied companion with extra big lips. "Talking to imaginary friends at her age? Her mother must be so embarrassed."

Keiko's cheek twitched.

"Oh, my god," a third women with too many rings on her fingers gasped, cutting the others' gossiping off harshly. "Is that who I think it is? The little diseased boy?"

At her words, the other two stopped and turned to gawk again, focusing past Keiko to Tsuyosa. They immediately recoiled at the sight of him, and again when he stared back, clustering closer together like a herd of animals forming a line of defense against a predator.

"They actually let him in here!?" the puffy-lipped woman asked, with no small amount of indignation. "With all the other children!? What if he infects them?"

"And that's their little sister too, isn't it?" added the woman with pearls. "How completely irresponsible! She already looks so pale… could he have gotten her already?"

"Well," the woman with too many rings huffed. "I'm getting my au pair to get my sweet little Hirono and Ichigo out of there right now." She then strode off into the room, giving the sofa with Tsuyosa and Keiko a wide berth.

Keiko growled, curling the hand Tsuyosa wasn't holding into a fist so tight it quaked. She had heard such talk far too often in the darkest period in her life, and she did not have any patience to listen to it now. The only things holding her back was her unwillingness to ruin her brother's party and her promise to Akane to keep a close watch over Tsuyosa. She had to bite her tongue not to at least snarl out scathing insults to the gossipping biddies and cause a scene.

Tsuyosa interrupted Keiko's thoughts as he squeezed her hand tightly, though clearly with little strength. He didn't look up at her, instead staring at the ground. "Papa says I can't get other people sick too. I'm not bad."

Those words, spoken with such tired sadness, were a knife that pierced Keiko's heart. "Tsu…" She glanced over at the women, seeing that two were still watching them. With a disdainful sniff, she turned away from the socialites and pulled Tsuyosa gently into her lap. "Hey, Tsu," she said with a little more volume than necessary. "How about I read you a story? A nice long story."

Tsuyosa paused at that before he looked up at Keiko. He was silent for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. "Okay."

Narakumon watched the exchange, and found himself ironically thankful for the obnoxious interruption. It had drawn not only Keiko's attention away from him, but Nyamon's as well, and saved him from a conversation he did not want to have with his daughter.

As a god of death, he knew the signs - he knew what to look for. And he also knew when there were just some things better left unsaid. Besides, as he kept telling himself, it wasn't as if it was any of their business.

Death came to everyone equally.

* * *

The moon filtered in through the drapes in Keiko's room of the Ryuzaki estate, casting its gentle light on the floorboards. Everything was still as darkness settled in, like a comforting blanket to ease everyone to sleep. In such comforting surroundings, it was only too easy for Keiko to fall asleep in spite of the fact that she wasn't back home in Crystal Tower. After the party, with Akane and the children staying over, she was reluctant to leave just yet. Fortunately, Nyamon curled up beside her on her bed, she was able to sleep easy.

At least, until the peacefulness of the night was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of heavy footsteps and loud voices just outside her door.

Keiko was up and out of bed in an instant. In her adrenaline-fueled, half-asleep state, she at first thought she was back in Crystal Tower in the middle of some sort of crisis in the Digital World. It was only when she charged out into the hall dressed in pajamas with Nyamon close on her heels that she woke up enough to remember where she was, which added a new kind of fear.

Although the Ryuzaki estate was vast, Keiko's bedroom was right next to the guestroom where Akane stayed with the children after the party. The door to that room hung open now, and the sound of a child crying and adults talking rapidly drew her close.

Inside was chaos.

Pacing on one side of the room was man with wild, long blonde hair streaked in purple, who Keiko belatedly recognized as her sister's husband. Mamoru fretted about, carrying Sera in his arms and patting her on the back as he murmured what were supposed to be soothing words to his daughter, but the little girl continually wailed, inconsolable.

On the opposite end of the room, Mina was seated on the bed, cradling Tsuyosa in her arms as Akane knelt beside him, injecting needles one after another into various places on the poor young boy's body. To Keiko's horror, she saw Tsuyosa's skin had turned blue in places, his raspy breathing more like ragged gurgling as he struggled for air even with a large oxygen tank on a cart nearby now hooked up to the tubes in his nose.

Nyamon stared at the scene in horror, her ears canted back. "What the hell's going on!?"

"I've already called Kigaru, he'll meet us there," Jin's voice came in loud as he was marching down the hallway to the room, distress clear in his voice even as he tried to keep it even and authoritative, as if he were in charge of the situation. "Everyone just stay calm!"

Mina was unruffled by the chaos happening around her as she kept Tsuyosa propped upright against her to prevent him from suffocating. She turned her gaze away to Keiko and Nyamon and spoke like the crack of a whip. "Keep the doorway clear! The paramedics are coming."

Keiko jerked at the order, but did as she was told, darting into the room with Nyamon right behind her to stand out of the way next to Mamoru, despite how Sera's mournful wailing hurt her ears. "What's happening?" she asked, raising her voice to be heard over Sera's crying as she plugged her ears with her fingers. "What happened to Tsu?"

It was Akane who answered, though she never looked Keiko's way and constantly kept pulling items out of an unusually large open medical kit on the nightstand. "It's fine, Keiko. Everything is fine. Tsu is going to be fine. This happens all the time. We only called an ambulance to get to the hospital faster, but this is nothing new for us. Don't worry, everything is going to be fine."

It was obvious to Keiko that Akane wasn't just trying to convince her everything was "fine." Unfortunately, it was also clear that there was nothing she could do to help; there was no foe to defeat, no castle to destroy and rescue the helpless child before her. All she could do was stay out of the way and listen to her niece cry as the paramedics arrived and spirited Tsuyosa away.

In the end, only Keiko, Nyamon, Mamoru, and Sera remained once the chaos disappeared - or rather, moved on without them.

By that point, Sera had finally tired herself out from crying, only occasionally letting out a sniffle and a tiny wail of "Tsuuuu…"

Mamoru sighed wearily as he rubbed his daughter's back, bouncing her in his arms. "It's okay, Sera, it's okay. Tsu will be home soon enough." His blue eyes turned apologetically to Keiko who looked skeptically back at him. "Really, it's going to be okay. This has happened more times than you think. Tsu's a fighter - he'll be back home again in a few days."

"No," Narakumon's voice cut in, not that Mamoru or Sera could hear, with the finality of a tolling bell at a funeral. It caused Keiko and Nyamon both to turn and stare at him. He stood beside them, staring out the window with his back to them. "He will not."

"Papa?" Keiko asked quietly, her heart filled with dread. She completely ignored the confused look Mamoru gave her as she took a step towards her father.

"The boy will not be coming back," Narakumon said, not looking at Keiko. "This man needs to not fill his daughter with false hopes that will only be crushed when her brother never returns."

Keiko froze mid-step, her entire body going cold.

Nyamon's eyes widened as her ears canted back.

Mamoru looked towards the window, but saw nothing. He cocked his head to one side then the other. "I… suppose you must be talking to your father right now? Narakumon, sir, er, that's your name, right?" He paused, but the empty space offered him nothing. "Well, anyway, my apologies for not being able to have a proper conversation with you, but I was thinking that since you're the digital manifestation of a god, perhaps, if it's not too much trouble, would you mind lending Tsu a little of your strength?"

Mamoru turned to Sera and used a tissue to clean her face. "I know it's asking for a lot and it's probably outside your particular skill set - you being a god of data and computers and all - but from one father to another, I hope you understand why I thought I'd ask anyway."

Narakumon stiffened but said nothing, staring out the window at the moon.

The tense silence settled over Keiko like a lead weight, threatening to suffocate her. The earlier conversation with Narakumon came back to her with an all new, terrible clarity. "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you, Papa? That's why Tsu could see you."

Narakumon didn't respond at first, mulling over his words, before he finally spoke. "I am a god of death, Keiko."

The implication hit Keiko hard, rendering her speechless.

Narakumon could feel his daughter's stare piercing through his back, which was all the more reason that he refused to turn to face her. "The spark of life in Digimon is not much different than the one found in humans. And even though this is not my world, I am still able to sense said spark… and see it grow dim. That boy's spark… is all but extinguished."

Keiko slowly started to shake her head, denial welling up within her. "There's got to be something we can do for Tsu! How do we revive the spark? Tell me what to do, Papa!"

Narakumon paused at that. It was a struggle to find the words to continue, but somehow he did, keeping his voice even. "This is the natural order of this world. Death is a part of it."

"Screw that!" Keiko snapped, clutching her fists. "The Digital World makes its own natural order, and Mama overturns death all the time!" She threw her arm out to her side. "I'll go find Mama's Chosen Child and drag her to the hospital to help Tsu if I have to!"

Nyamon gave a sharp nod as she crossed her arms. "It wouldn't be that hard to find her."

The sound of crying began anew, as Sera reacted to Keiko's shouting. Mamoru rubbed his daughter's back again, but kept casting a troubled gaze towards Keiko and the empty space.

"I'll… take Sera to another room to calm her down," he muttered before hastily leaving. It was clear to him that he was in over his head in this sort of situation and his priority needed to be to his daughter right now. "Please excuse us."

Narakumon felt a spark of irritation at Mamoru's interjection, as the conversation was stressful enough as it was, but allowed himself to be mollified by the man's departure. He let out a deep sigh through his teeth as he tried to get his thoughts in order. It was hard enough trying to talk reason to his daughter when his own feelings refused to match with what he knew was logical. "The girl has no experience with using Tenraimon's power. As it is, she's using it to heal her own body's sickly nature. You know that."

Keiko flinched, her eyes sliding askance as a twist of guilt hit her, but she refused to look away for long. "Then Mama can lend Tsu her energy dire…"

An abrupt idea silenced Keiko before she could finish her thought, the gears turning in her head as she stared intently at Narakumon. "Papa, you said Tsu could be Darkness like me, right? Is that only because he's about to die?"

Narakumon grimaced at that before he finally turned to face his daughter, his expression stern. "Keiko."

"What if you made Tsu like me?" Keiko pressed, stepping closer to Narakumon, placing a hand on her chest. "What if you share your power with Tsu, would that save him?"

Narakumon's expression grew exasperated as he let out another sigh. "Keiko, he's a random human child that-"

"He's my nephew!" Keiko snapped. "He's family, and I'm going to save him, blood or no blood!"

Narakumon went silent as he stared at Keiko for a moment before he lowered his eyes, his expression twisting unpleasantly.

"She's not thinking anything that you weren't already thinking," Nyamon said with a snap of her tail. "If you really didn't care, you wouldn't have that sour look on your face."

"I have a responsibility to the Digital World," Narakumon said softly. "And involving more humans would be…!"

Keiko closed the distance between her and Narakumon, taking her father's hand in hers and squeezing tight. "He's already involved, Papa. He's not just some random human. He's your family too. You're his great-uncle."

Narakumon paused before he looked at Keiko's hands in his own, which seemed so small. It was hard to imagine that such delicate, small hands could wield so much destruction if he hadn't been the very reason they could. And yet, despite carrying such capacity for destruction, they were still capable of so much kindness.

"It was… surprising," Narakumon murmured. "The way he looked at me… tried to look at me. Even though he couldn't see me clearly, he still at least sensed me and… wasn't afraid."

Keiko's eyes softened as she smiled a little at Narakumon. "I haven't spent much time with Tsu, but he's really sweet. I'm sure he'll love you too, just like I do, once he gets to meet you."

Narakumon didn't respond immediately as he stared down at Keiko's hands, then let out a weary sigh. "You are an extremely ill-behaved Chosen Child, do you realize that? And so infuriating."

Keiko's smile turned wry as she let out a mischievous giggle. "I learned from the best, Papa."

Narakumon chuckled softly before he finally lifted his head. "I believe it would work, yes. He has an affinity for my power, so-"

Keiko's eyes lit up and she tugged Narakumon towards the door before sprinting off ahead. "What're we waiting for? Let's go!"

* * *

It didn't take long to make it to the hospital using a couple Digital Gates. In fact, Keiko and Nyamon arrived not long after the ambulance arrived. Even finding the room in the emergency ward where Tsuyosa had been placed had been a simple matter after Narakumon checked the computer system. The only difficulty was getting past orderlies and nurses that tried in vain to stop a girl and her cat from tearing through the hospital's ER.

The chaotic sound of doctors barking orders and beeping machines were drowned out by the door to the room slamming open with a well placed kick from Nyamon. She and Keiko ignored the shock of the medical staff inside, focused entirely on Tsuyosa lying in a bed with various tubes hastily inserted into his small body.

"You can't be in here!" one of the doctors shouted.

Keiko brushed past the man and batted away the hands of two nurses trying to see her out. There was no time to hesitate. Tsuyosa looked even worse than before, only breathing now with the assistance of a machine, as the erratic chirps of the heart monitor grew only more spaced out.

"This is the only warning you're getting," Nyamon said as she followed her partner, her tail snapping out to smack one of the nurses that got too close. "Stay out of the way!"

Keiko called upon the Darkness and allowed it to consume her. The staff backed away from her as the light faded around her, alarmed by this child for more than the intrusion. The darkness crackled at the edges and grew beyond her body into the shape of the god of death with black wings unfurled.

The machines went completely haywire. The heart monitor pulsed so rapidly it turned into a high shriek. The lights flickered sparratically until one blew up, then another. The breathing machine lost its rhythm, and Nyamon hastily removed it before doing the same with the wires from the monitoring equipment.

Keiko placed her hands - and the shadow of Narakumon's - on Tsuyosa's pale chest and let the Darkness consume the dying boy completely.

One of the nurses fled into the hall, screaming as the lights went out completely and the equipment died. The only illumination in the room came from the flickering fluorescent bulbs in the hallway and the moonlight that shone in Keiko's eyes.

Narakumon paid the panicking humans no mind, focusing instead on the small heartbeat in his hands. It was so faint, and the boy so fragile. He could feel the boy's life trying to flicker away through his fingers and it reminded him that what they were about to do could very well finish him off - it begged the question of what right he had to make such a decision. But he was the god of death, and who else but he had the right to make such a call? The boy was doomed regardless. His choices were to die in a few hours with the assistance of various cruel machines or possibly live on his own, for as long as the Darkness within him would allow.

Besides, as much as Keiko was protesting Tsuyosa's fate, Narakumon couldn't deny… that he had wanted to save the boy, too.

With that in mind, Narakumon guided his power through Keiko, using his daughter as a medium to safely transfer it into the small boy, filling him with the Darkness he possessed. As the aura that had engulfed Keiko spread to the tiny child, the crest of Darkness slowly began to appear upon the boy's forehead. The inverting silver moons glistened like the moonlight in Keiko's eyes, before they illuminated Tsuyosa's gray eyes with an ephemeral glow.

The faint heartbeat within Keiko's grasp began to pulse a little quicker with each passing second, growing stronger. What had once felt so fragile was gaining strength right under her fingertips as the color returned to Tsuyosa's face, the blue giving way to pale peach as he breathed easily on his own.

Detached though she was from herself, Keiko could feel her strength fade. The act of transforming Tsuyosa, of purging what was toxic and wrong within him far exceeded any act of violence she committed, and drained her of far more than what it took to grant Nyamon evolution to Ultimate level.

It was only when Keiko had given all that she could that she stopped, collapsing as the world around her disappeared into darkness.

* * *

From a dreamless sleep of darkness Keiko slowly awakened to a body heavy and sluggish with fatigue. A single thought was the spark that ignited her determination to resist the siren song of sleep coaxing her back into the realm of unconsciousness. She wanted - needed - to know what happened to Tsuyosa.

The first person Keiko saw upon forcing her eyes open was the comforting sight of Nyamon. Her partner instantly relaxed as their eyes met before giving her a wry smile.

"Good morning," Nyamon said. "Or afternoon. Whichever you prefer."

Keiko barely spared a thought to wonder how long she had been unconscious before she returned her focus to what was most important. "Tsu…?" To her annoyance, her voice came out faint, thick with fatigue, and she struggled all the more to shake the sleep from her body.

"Not here," Nyamon said as she flicked her ear before she turned to stare off to the side. Keiko followed her partner's gaze to find herself staring at the door to her bedroom, which was slightly ajar. "Your sister and brother'll be busting in any moment now, once they notice the sound of your voice."

As if on cue, Akane peered through the crack in the door. Upon seeing Keiko's face, she threw her door and rushed inside. "You're finally awake! Oh, thank goodness. We were worried. You've been asleep for a long time."

"You really gave everyone a scare," Jin said as he appeared behind Akane, hurrying inside. "Especially the doctors." He paused before his expression grew wry. "Especially the doctors."

"Is Tsu alive?" Keiko asked, unable to focus on her siblings' relief when her thoughts were still filled with worry for Tsuyosa. She tried to push herself upward, cursing her body as it rebelled against her and demanded more rest.

Akane's expression softened before she sat down on the bed and reached out to brush the hair away from her sister's annoyed eyes. "Tsu is fine, Keiko. Don't worry." She let out a breath that could've been a laugh or some other more enigmatic emotion. "I don't know what you did, but the doctors are saying his health is the best it's ever been."

"Which, you can imagine, just freaked the doctors out even more," Jin said, with a chuckle. "They don't understand what happened. And while I'm not entirely certain myself, I can imagine… it's Digimon business, isn't it?"

"I made Tsu like me," Keiko said. With a sigh, she relaxed on the bed, relieved by the knowledge that her gambit had worked.

"She connected Tsu to Narakumon," Nyamon elaborated. "It's complicated, but it means Tsu will get better now."

"The Digital World is sustaining him now," Narakumon said as he appeared beside Keiko, looking down at her. "He'll always have a weak constitution, but with the Digital World nourishing his flesh, he no longer has to fear his body's impending collapse. He will live."

"Good," Keiko sighed, a smile gracing her face as she closed her eyes. "That's good."

Narakumon paused at that as he mulled over his next words before his expression grew serious. "You expended a great deal of energy to achieve this miracle. And while it does mean that the boy will survive thanks to your efforts, you… will not be able to fight until you recover."

Keiko's eyes snapped open as she fixed her adoptive father with a sharp look.

Narakumon was quick to lift his hand, cutting off Keiko's protest. "Your body is taxed to nearly it's limits - you've been asleep for days. You've only just now regained enough energy to wake. For that reason, you must be cautious and reserved in what you do until you fully recover. Is that understood?"

Although Keiko felt a surge of stubborn pride flare up inside her, it just as quickly fizzled out, drained by the fatigue still demanding more time for rest. "I understand, Papa." She fought back the need to yawn, but ultimately could only minimize it. "I'm just glad I could save Tsu."

Akane and Jin shared an uncertain look. Although they believed their little sister when she spoke of her "Papa," it was always unnerving to watch her have a conversation with empty air. Still, that didn't stop them from being ungrateful for what this unseen entity had done for Keiko, and now for Tsuyosa.

"Well," Akane said after a moment's thought, "thank you, Keiko, for saving Tsu." She looked in the general area that Keiko had been looking, searching for some sign of Narakumon that continued to elude her eyes. "And thank you Lord Narakumon." She clapsed her hands together and bowed her head. "We owe you for everything you've done for our family."

Narakumon paused at that before his face turned red and he quickly looked away. "I-I didn't do it for the praise of some human!"

Nyamon smirked. "He's blushing." Her smirk widened when the digital god of Darkness turned to glare death at her.

Akane couldn't help but laugh at the thought.

A gentle knock drew everyone's attention to the open door. Keiko was immediately greeted by a man she didn't know. He was tall with chocolate brown hair and gray eyes, which were tinged with exhaustion if the heavy purple bags beneath his eyes were anything to go by. He looked fairly disheveled, as if he had thrown on the first set of clothes he could find - in this case, black sweats and a white silk shirt - before rushing out the door.

While the sight of the man was disorienting, Keiko quickly forgot him in favor of what the man held in his arms - Tsuyosa. The little boy looked far better than he had on the hospital bed, though he still sported the hospital band and blue pajamas with purple bunny print. He looked even better than the moment he and Keiko first met, as he no longer had a breathing tube, bandages, or even bruising left behind.

"Sorry to interrupt," the man said with a weak smile. "But Tsu kept demanding to see his Auntie Keiko."

Keiko immediately felt a jolt of energy at the sight of Tsuyosa and she tried once again to sit up, smiling wide at the sight of the little boy. "Hi, Tsu. You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

Tsuyosa turned to stare at Keiko before he reached out his tiny hands towards her, making grabbing motions. In response, the man holding the little boy walked in to the room and placed the young boy on the bed beside Keiko.

"You look like shit, man," Jin said, as he shot Kigaru a crooked smile.

"Thanks," the man said, cheerfully. "I call it my 'I've been at the hospital for three days' look."

"They actually let you take Tsu home, Kigaru?" Akane asked, shifting her gaze between Kigaru and Tsuyosa while the little boy grasped onto Keiko's outstretched fingers.

"Oh, not at all~!" Kigaru said, still brightly. "They wanted to keep him longer for observation, but I told them that three days was enough. If they couldn't give me a good reason why to keep him there beyond their own ignorance, I'd be taking him home. If they couldn't figure out why he was healthy after three days and no other health complications came up, then they were wasting my time - and his. My son has spent enough time being hooked up to machines while sick, he doesn't need to experience it when he's not."

Akane sighed with no small amount of relief, placing her hand on her chest. "I'm glad to hear it. It drove me crazy that they refused to tell me anything about how poor Tsu was doing." She paused to look at Keiko. "They almost wouldn't let Jin and me take you home after what you did at the hospital. They really wanted to study you." She smile turned wry. "Good thing we got that paperwork pushed through to get Jin to be your legal guardian, huh?"

Keiko nodded uncomfortably, though her attention was still mostly captivated by Tsuyosa. She didn't care much for doctors or their interest in the Digital World after the stories she heard from Narakumon and Tenraimon.

Nyamon smirked as she puffed up her chest. "I would've told them no anyway. With my claws."

"I would have destroyed them all, if they had tried," Narakumon said with a huff. "I would never-" He froze when Tsuyosa suddenly looked up to stare at him. However, unlike before, the boy focused directly on him, their eyes meeting. It rendered Narakumon speechless as Tsuyosa gave a small blink before reaching up to point at him.

"I see you," Tsuyosa said.

Nyamon's ears shot up as she stared at Tsuyosa, then Narakumon.

Instead of being surprised, Keiko smirked and tapped Tsuyosa's hand to draw his attention back to her. "That's my papa, Narakumon. Since I'm your auntie now, that makes him your great-uncle. It's because of him and his power that I was able to make you better."

Tsuyosa tilted his head, as if considering Keiko's words. "Great-Uncle." He glanced between Keiko and Narakumon before he turned his full attention back to Narakumon, a bright smile on his face.

Narakumon felt his heart skip a beat before his face turned bright red. "Y-you don't need to look so happy."

Keiko couldn't help but laugh. "Of course he does! He finally gets to meet his great-uncle who saved him and his auntie. You're a real hero, Papa."

Narakumon made an incoherent noise in his throat as his blush deepened before he quickly disappeared, fading out of view.

Tsuyosa blinked. "Ah, Great-Uncle left."

Keiko continued giggling even as she squeezed Tsuyosa's hand gently. "Your Great-Uncle Narakumon does that a lot." She winked. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it, Tsu."

"I suppose we all will eventually," Akane added with a tentative smile. It was unnerving that some sort of spectre they couldn't see could just pop in and out at will around Keiko, but she wasn't about to let something as silly as that get in the way of her appreciating everything Narakumon did for their family.

"I admit I don't fully understand everything that's happening," Kigaru said as he stood in the doorway, watching the exchange. He then gave Keiko a weary smile. "But I do know this… you saved my son's life - both of you. I… can't deny that he would have died if not for you. I owe you more than I can ever repay… but I definitely intend to try."

"I didn't save Tsu to get anything out of it for myself," Keiko said, almost offended by the idea. "I saved Tsu because he needed saving. I'm the Chosen Child of Darkness, and that means I have a duty to save the weak and innocent from anything that wants to destroy them."

Kigaru stared at Keiko before his expression softened. "Thank you..."

"Why don't you take a rest?" Jin asked as he reached over to grasp Kigaru's shoulder. "Go take a nap. We'll watch Tsu while you sleep in an actual bed."

"And before you argue, you won't be the only one napping," Akane said with a crooked smirk. "If Sera can be convinced to nap instead of waiting up for Tsu, so can you."

"And there's plenty of guestrooms for you to choose from," Jin said wryly. "Now take your pick and go to sleep."

Kigaru glanced about the room before he gave a wry chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. "Alright, alright… I can't argue with you all at once. And a nap does sound really good right now..."

"Night-night, Papa," Tsuyosa said as he reached up his right hand to wave at Kigaru. "Nap time."

Kigaru smiled gently as he returned the gesture. "Night-night, Tsu…" Slowly, and reluctantly, the man lingered a moment more before he finally left the room, slipping off to find some much needed rest.

Tsuyosa watched his father leave, then turned to Keiko. He gazed at her with wide gray eyes that sparkled with life and curiosity.

Keiko smiled at the little boy and reached out to ruffle his hair. "I know what you're thinking. You feel something big inside you now. Something bigger than anything. That's because you're Darkness now, like me. That means you're going to grow up strong and protect anyone who needs help."

Tsuyosa smiled at that. "Okay, Auntie Keiko!"

The relief Keiko felt at seeing Tsuyosa wore away at her energy and reminded her of just how badly her body cried out for more rest. Frustrated though she was at still feeling tired even after sleeping for three days, and for the restrictions now placed on her for the foreseeable future, she didn't regret her actions for a moment. Taxing herself to such a degree was a small price to pay to save an innocent baby's life.

It was what Chosen Children should do, after all.


	38. Chapter 38

Ken couldn't help but walk with a bit of a spring in his step. After all the misery he had been put through for the past few months, something good had _finally_ happened to him. For once, the crushing weight of his own inferiority wasn't bringing him or his friends down. He was actually being useful.

Thanks to Osamu's help, his D-Terminal was finally done. Everyone had been just as impressed as Osamu, praising him for his efforts. No doubt they would praise him again once Keiko's friend was finished producing the rest of them. While Ken had planned on making the duplicates by hand, Keiko had been quick to point out it would be much faster - and far more efficient - for her to use her connections to duplicate his prototype instead. While her brother might not have owned a business, she knew someone that _did_ , and they were more than happy to help.

It was funny how it worked out. In a way, his lie had become the truth after all.

That would have been enough to keep Ken smiling through his entire exile from the Digital World in spite of everything, but Osamu surprised him once again. When his brother voiced the desire to meet his friends, his mood diminished and made him wary, but Osamu conceded to listen to his friends first before saying anything, which included Wormmon.

When Ken accidentally let it slip that he couldn't see Ryo - and was forced to explain the circumstances - Osamu reacted with a single question that left him floored.

" _Why don't you just meet up someplace without electronics?"_

Ken felt like slapping himself for overlooking such an obvious solution. However, such a feeling was fleeting and soon forgotten after he contacted his friends and arranged to meet them in the park. Walking side-by-side with his brother along the busy sidewalks to meet up with his friends, whenever anxiety fluttered in his heart, he stole a quick glance at Osamu to see once again that his brother was surprisingly calm, almost relaxed.

Maybe it was just Ken's imagination - or wishful thinking - but during the days they spent together working on the D-Terminal, he noticed Osamu's mood slowly but steadily improve. The tension between them faded in the house and even their parents had lessened their interference after enough assurances from Osamu that they were working on an important project, and Ken wasn't bothering his brother again.

"You look happy," Osamu commented, snapping Ken's focus back on him. Although he wasn't looking forward to letting the bug monster that had manipulated his innocent little brother spend more time with Ken, thoughts of the Digital World kept nagging at him. He rationalized that going out to see them would be fine so long as nothing bad happened to his little brother and there was no chance Ken could be snatched away to the Digital World again. Going to a place without electronic devices seemed to assure that wouldn't happen.

Ken couldn't help but give his brother a dazzling smile. "I _am_ happy~!"

A twist in Osamu's insides like guilt made it a little hard to smile back. "Seeing that mon… _Wormmon_ means that much to you, huh?"

"Yeah," Ken said, pointedly ignoring the fact that Osamu had tripped over his words. It didn't matter what he had been _about_ to say, only what he _did_ say. It was a vast improvement. "But more than that, we'll all be together~!"

Osamu nodded slightly and paused at the crosswalk when he saw the lights change, instinctively extending his arm to the side to make sure Ken stopped at the curb as well. "As long as someone doesn't drop a computer in front of us to snatch you away again, I'll be okay…" He paused, frowning. "I'll _try_ to be okay with this. I'm trying. For your sake."

Ken gave a nod, still smiling. "I know you can do it, Osamu!"

Osamu's smile came more easily this time as he met his brother's bright blue eyes and saw the joy that sparkled there. He wanted to say something confident and reassuring, but nothing sprung to mind that wasn't a lie.

As the light changed and they continued on their way and more time ticked by, Osamu found himself far too anxious to handle the silence that settled between them, no matter how pleasantly charged it was. He tried to hide the fluttering in his stomach behind a wry grin as he cocked his head slightly. "Too bad we can't do this at that arcade your friend's family owns. I'm pretty curious about the 'custom machines' mentioned on their website."

"I know," Ken said, his smile faltering slightly. "Plus you could try their pizza. It's _amazing_."

Osamu noticed the flickering in his brother's smile and inwardly cursed. He had promised himself not to be so harsh on Ken. Trying again, he forced out a chuckle. "Sounds better than the pizza they gave me at that one awards dinner." He let out a theatrical gag. "It was like cardboard smothered in ketchup and fake cheese."

Ken blinked before he let out a laugh and smiled brightly. "Yeah, this stuff is _way_ better! It's just so good, and you can order whatever you want for toppings!"

When Osamu heard Ken laugh he felt triumphant and flashed his little brother a grin. "Okay then, I'll give it a try. How about we go there next Sunday? Just the two of us."

"That'd be great!" Ken said, excitedly. "We could play the games and get a pizza, and have fun together!"

Osamu felt his heart lighten even as his smile faded ever so slightly. "Just make sure not to mention it to Mom or Dad. They'd go ballistic if they found out we were sneaking off to an arcade."

"Right!" Ken agreed, with a sharp nod.

Once again, silence settled between the brothers as they wove their way through the crowd. Osamu grabbed Ken's arm and pulled his little brother back as a man ran past, obviously too much in a hurry to care about mowing down any children in his way. He glared at the back of the man who came so close to running right into Ken before he resumed walking, muttering insults under his breath.

Ken watched the man run off before glancing up on his brother. The action caused his eyes to pass over a window, where he saw a poster featuring a palm tree on an island with bright colorful words encouraging anyone who'd listen the joys of spending their summer vacation somewhere _other_ than Tokyo. The sight immediately caused a thought to pop in to his head, causing the Chosen of Kindness' eyes to light up. "Hey! You know… Keiko's family doesn't just own an arcade... they have their own private condo at the beach, too! We could go to the beach this summer - all of us, together!" The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. "They don't have electronics at the beach, after all!"

Osamu froze mid-step, jarring Ken to a stop as well due to his hold on his little brother. It took him a moment to fight the tension in his muscles and resume walking, though he avoided looking at Ken's questioning gaze. "Okay. Sure. Sounds good."

Ken furrowed his brow, his smile once again faltering. Even in his happiness, it was impossible to ignore Osamu's strange reaction. "Osamu?"

"Let's just wait until summer break," Osamu said quickly, though he failed to hide how unsettled he felt. "We can figure out some excuse by then."

Ken stared at Osamu before he tilted his head. "Did… did you not want to?" It seemed so odd, as he specifically remembered how upset Osamu had been the previous year, when he had to spend the time studying rather than go to the beach with the rest of the family. It started to dawn on the Chosen of Kindness that perhaps he was pushing his luck with his brother, and such a revelation brought a sense of panic to the young boy. "I-it's fine if you don't! It was just a thought!"

Osamu stopped again, grimacing. "No, it's not…" He faltered for a moment before letting out a frustrated huff of air and turning to the horizon. "It's not that I don't want to go. I just…" He exhaled roughly. "I just hate how noisy the beach is."

"It's a private beach, though," Ken said. "It'd be just us!"

"That's not…," Osamu trailed off before shaking his head. "No, that's good. That's fine." He continued walking, trying to seem casual in his stride. "A private beach sounds a lot better than a crowded one. Let's do that this summer."

Ken followed after Osamu even as he waffled as to whether he wanted to press further or not. Ultimately, he decided not to or risk ruining Osamu's mood any more than it already was. His brother was never one to sugarcoat his words, after all. If he had an issue, he would've said it. "...Okaaaay."

Osamu could tell by Ken's tone that his little brother didn't believe him. He tried not to scowl at that, but it made the smile he tried to wear instead look crooked and strange. "Anyway, we can think about that stuff _after_ we talk to Akiyama and Makura."

"Ryuzaki," Ken said unthinkingly. Self-conscious flooded to his cheeks when he realized he had just corrected his genius of a brother and he rushed to explain. "Keiko's family name is Ryuzaki now. Her brother officially adopted her a couple weeks ago, and she changed her name."

"Right," Osamu muttered dismissively before speaking normally again. "Well, as I was about to say-"

The screech of rubber against concrete ended the conversation. Ken looked in the direction of the sound, his expression blank. He had no time to process what he was seeing - a car suddenly jumping the curb at high speeds as a panicked male driver struggled to regain control. All he could register was the front end of the car grill before it was too late.

* * *

The sound of skidding tires followed by a large commotion was loud enough that it was even able to reach the ears of Ryo, Keiko, Wormmon, and Nyamon as they stood at the heart of a large park, anxiously waiting for Osamu and Ken to appear. They turned, along with nearly every other person meandering about the area, towards the loud chaos.

"Something happened," Nyamon said as she flicked her ears.

"It sounds like an accident," Ryo said apprehensively, his stomach clenching for a reason he couldn't identify. "And it sounds _really_ bad."

Wormmon began to shiver in Ryo's arms, his eyes going wide as his pupils dilated. "Ken… Ken-chan?" As he spoke the words, a sharp pain surged from his heart through the rest of his body. "K-Ken-chan!"

Without warning, Wormmon shoved Ryo's arms off of him as he took a flying leap, not even caring as he hit the ground roughly. " _Ken-chan_!" his voice came out like a shriek as he scrambled across the pavement.

Nyamon froze and stared at Wormmon as his words slowly registered. Her ears canted all the way back as her irises became pinpricks before she bolted, passing the insect Digimon as she raced on all fours towards the scene of the commotion.

"What?" Ryo blurted out, a chill running through his body as he immediately feared the worst. "Ken?!" When he saw Keiko run off without him, he quickly raced after, praying that what his gut told him was wrong.

It wasn't.

The front of the car bellowed smoke, warped with the windshield cracked. A crowd of gawkers stood around. In the center of it all, two children dressed in blood.

The brothers were together, Osamu curled around Ken and still holding him tight. It was immediately apparent to all who saw him that the elder brother had used his body to shield the younger.

Wormmon reached the scene first, scampering between the legs of the crowd that gathered around to watch and panic. He ignored how the only humans helping were trying to get the driver out of the car. He had no thought for why anyone kept their distance from the children lying sprawled on the sidewalk. He only focused on Ken. However, no matter how many times he called Ken's name, his partner would only respond with wordless moans of pain.

Nyamon forced the gawkers apart, uncaring of how her rough shoving got unwanted attention or sent some people falling over. When she saw the two boys on the concrete she froze, unable to do little more than stare.

"Ken-chan!" Keiko shrieked when she reached the scene of the accident, collapsing to her knees beside the fallen boys. "Oh no, no, no, no…" She fumbled to pull her Digivice from her pocket with shaking hands. "Mama… We need to get him to Mama o-or Higashi! Digital Gate O-"

"Wait!" Ryo shouted as he seized Keiko by the wrist, cutting her off. "We can't take Ken to the Digital World, remember? Zeed will kill him!"

"D…on't… 'ake Ken a-away…"

The weak and hazy voice of Osamu startled both Ryo and Keiko to focus their attention to him. Through blood-streaked glasses, he still managed a hazy glare before his gaze fell to Ken. He could barely see more than blurs of color and too much red, but through the pain he could still feel the warmth of his little brother's body that he refused to let go. "Are… are you… okay… K-Ken?"

Although Ken managed to open his eyes halfway, all the could muster was a thin whine of pain.

Keiko trembled, her hand still caught in Ryo's grasp. "We have to help of them! We have to do something!"

Ryo turned to the spectators standing by, half focused on the fallen children and half on the Digimon. "Someone call an ambulance! Hurry! We need an…"

That was when Ryo heard the sirens. He should have felt relieved, but it was far too soon for that.

When the paramedics rushed to the scene, Ryo pried Wormmon away from Ken even as the Digimon wailed and struggled against him, going as far as to bite his arm. It took Nyamon slapping Wormmon's cheek to snap the insect Digimon out of his hysteria.

"You're not helping Ken-chan," Nyamon snapped, hating herself for the necessary harshness. "Calm - _down_!"

Wormmon flinched before he stared at Nyamon with wide tear-filled eyes before he began to sob helplessly, reaching up to cover his face with his feelers. Nyamon's expression softened as her ears drooped, her own eyes moist with tears.

Ryo felt his insides clench, even as he struggled to keep his composure as the paramedics took Ken and Osamu away. He felt so helpless and disoriented. All this time, they had been acting like the human world was safe - that Ken wouldn't be in any danger. Yet, after spending so much time in the Digital World and dealing with _its_ issues, they had lost perspective on their world's own set of threats. All he could do was helplessly watch as the paramedics loaded Osamu and Ken in to separate ambulances before taking off at high speeds, rushing against time to save their lives.

"Higashi," Keiko said sharply, drawing everyone's attention back to her. She turned to stare at them with wild eyes as she clutched her digivice. "We've got to bring Higashi here! He can heal Ken; he can channel Mama's power into Ken!"

Ryo's eyes widened with realization, as his early pounding heart leapt at the suggestion. "We… we've got to hurry!"

"Then stop talking about it!" Nyamon said, her voice rough with emotion. "We need to _go_!"

The two human children nodded at each other before they rushed to the nearest electronic device - in this case, a nearby traffic light. Keiko raised her digivice at the traffic light, paying no attention to the crowd come to gawk at the carnage - which included the police and fire department.

" _Digital Gate open_!" Keiko shouted.

With a flash of light, the children and two Digimon disappeared, leaving behind the gawkers with the wreckage of the car, its disoriented driver, and the massive puddle of blood that stained the streets.

* * *

The light on the roof of the ambulance flickered, apparently having a short that caused it to go out whenever the vehicle hit anything - be it a pothole, a bump, or even an uneven patch of asphalt. Unfortunately, Osamu could feel each little jolt as they sent waves of pain crashing through his broken body.

It made him want to scream at someone to fix the damn light or shut it off - he didn't care which. Unfortunately, words required far more than his body was willing to give, as he was struggling to keep hold of what little life he had left. Besides, if he could manage the energy to speak, he would rather ask about Ken instead of wasting his time complaining about the substandard service he was being provided by the people trying to save his life.

"Stay with us, just stay with us!" one of the paramedics said as he hovered over Osamu, holding the oxygen mask to Osamu's face. "You're going to be fine, so just hold on!"

Lying, idiot bastards. Who the hell did they think they were talking to? He was a goddamn genius, he knew his body better than anyone. He didn't need their pity or their platitudes.

Osamu knew that this was the end.

"We need another blood pack! Get an IV in him!"

They were wasting their time, and his; he could feel it. Even knowing that, he couldn't help but feel an enormous amount of outrage at what was happening around him, to him. A terrible darkness welled up within him at the futility of it all, even as he could feel his life literally dripping out of his body, like the blood that seeped out of him unabated. This was how he was going to die, surrounded by idiots. He wouldn't even know that Ken was alive, that his efforts to save the only person in the world worth living for had even succeeded.

The very idea was insulting, _infuriating_.

However, even his anger wasn't enough to sustain him for long. That last spark of resistance flickered away as blackness crept in along the edges of his vision. The last thing Osamu heard was the sound of computer keys typing, a sound he was far too familiar with, before darkness finally overtook him completely.

* * *

The rhythmic sound of beeping was the first thing Ken heard as the haze of pain fogging his mind relented - slight as it was. The beeping pulsated through his head, seemingly matching his own heart beat for beat. As the sound gained strength, so too did his awareness.

Ken struggled to open his eyes, but something sealed his eyelids shut, forcing him to struggle to peel them painfully open, though one remained in the dark. Stinging light flooded his vision before a faint shape took form before him, a shadow at first, one of an angel with majestic wings and loving arms extended towards him. It took him a moment to realize he recognized the figure before him wasn't a ferryman welcoming him to the afterlife.

It was Higashi.

Relief flooded Higashi's face, which had been twisted with exhaustion and fear only moments ago. He leaned over Ken, the boy tiny in large hospital bed, attached to numerous machines - including a heart monitor, which proved to be the sound of the repetitive beeping. The angel Digimon kept his hands on Ken's broken body, his blood-covered fingers still glowing gentle white.

"It'll be alright," Higashi said softly, his voice hitching despite his attempts to keep it even. "You'll be alright. I promise."

Ken furrowed his brow, noticing bandages over one eye, before his gaze drifted from Higashi to the rest of the room, recognizing it as an intensive care hospital room. He saw Ryo and Keiko as they rushed over to his bedside, with Ryo holding Wormmon while Nyamon stayed by the doorway with FlaWizarmon and Witchmon. The trio of Digimon formed a barrier, keeping a gaggle of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff at bay.

"No offense to ya'll, given it's yer job and everythin'," FlaWizarmon said with a smile that carried no friendliness as he aimed one of his matches at the humans. "But ol' Higashi is in a better position to save Ken-chan's life… so why dontcha stay out of the damn way already."

Witchmon gave a cheerful wave to the medical staff with a wide smile that showed off all her razor-sharp teeth. "Please pardon our intrusion~!"

"Ken-chan!" Wormmon cried, reaching out for Ken's hand, taking hold tight between his digits. "Ken-chan, you're awake!"

"Ken!" Ryo said, trying not to raise his voice despite the way his pulse pounded with worry. "Can you hear me?"

Keiko nearly touched Ken's arm, but stopped herself as she saw the bruising there on his pale flesh, not yet healed. "Ken-chan. Don't worry, we're here."

Ken did his best to look at his friends through his pain-hazed eyes before he offered them a weak smile. However, even through the fog, there was a burning question that he had to ask. "O… sam… u?"

Higashi paused at that before he shook his head. "Osamu isn't here. He was taken to a different hospital."

Ken furrowed his brow and immediately all thoughts of his own well-being were dashed by this new, terrible information and the urgency it summoned within him. "O-Osamu… help… Osamu…!"

"Zennyu is looking for Osamu back in the Digital World," Keiko said, trying her best to sound soothing. "Once he finds him, Higashi will go help him too, so don't exert yourself."

"We'll… we'll find him," Ryo said, but he couldn't hide his worry. Although Ken was his highest priority right now, he still couldn't stop thinking about Osamu's injuries. "We'll find Osamu, Ken. Just focus on resting now."

Ken wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer but managed a small nod. It was so hard to think as his pain throbbed throughout his entire body, and even speaking the simple words he had took far too much energy. As it was, he found staying awake to be a monumental task, and not even adrenaline or whatever medicine was flowing through his veins from the IV attached to his arm wasn't enough to keep his consciousness from drifting away again. Though he struggled against it, his vision grew fuzzy, his friends fading little more than blurred images.

Within moments, everything went dark once more.

* * *

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed before Ken began to rouse again. When he did finally open his eyes again, the emergency room surroundings had been replaced with that of a regular hospital observation room. The plain white walls and light pastel-colored furniture did very little to make the medical equipment less intimidating, but it still tried.

Ken frowned before he reached up to rub at his crust-covered eyes, flinching after touching the bandages on half of his face, before noting a strange plastic clasp wrapped around his pointer finger, with a long cord that attached to one of the machines. He blinked at it, giving his pointer finger a widdle for a moment, before he finally took a good look about his room.

It was then that Ken noticed a piece of paper folded up on the food tray attached to his bed. The Chosen of Kindness blinked before he reached over to take the paper, flipping it open.

 _Ken,_

 _All of us went looking for Osamu. Rest up and try not to worry. Be back soon._

 _Ryo_

Ken felt a wave of relief at Ryo's note, a smile spreading across his weary face. However, he didn't have long to truly focus on that feeling when the door suddenly opened, causing the him to look up just in time to see his mother walk in.

"Oh!" Yui gasped. "You're finally awake." Though she smiled, her furrowed brow and worried eyes diminished the happiness from her expression as she drew closer to the bed. "How're you feeling, Ken?"

Ken gave his mother what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm… I'm okay, Mom."

Yui sighed before placing her hand atop Ken's. "Good, good. The doctors say you won't be in here for very long at all. You got off lucky because…"

Choking on her words, Yui went silent, her eyes straying beyond Ken to the blue sky outside the window. It was a bright, beautiful sunny day. It was far too cheerful.

Ken blinked at Yui's reaction before he thought back to the emergency room and immediately understood. He remembered seeing Higashi and how he had been trying to heal him, just like he had when Piemon had attacked him. Ken imagined his mother wasn't happy that a Digimon had been involved. "Mom…"

"Anyway!" Yui suddenly said, looking back at Ken. "They'll be keeping you for a little longer, but you'll be coming home in a few days. Isn't that great?"

Ken gave a nod at that before he paused, a thought occurred to him. "What about Osamu? When will he be released?"

Yui froze. It took her a long moment to move again, but the smile she put on was brittle, threatening to crack the rigid muscles in her face. "He's… he's fine." She hesitated again before she shook her head. "Osamu is in another room. He'll be fine. Just focus on getting better."

Ken hesitated. Her odd expression was confusing, especially as he couldn't figure out the meaning behind it. Still, rather than worry about it, he opted to focus more on the good news. He gave his mother a weak smile as he allowed himself to focus on the relief he felt. "Good, I'm glad…"

"I have to go," Yui said as she turned away, stepping quickly towards the door. "You get some sleep, Ken, and do what the doctors tell you."

Ken blinked at how abruptly his mother was leaving after just coming to visit him. He furrowed his brow before he gave a small nod. "O-okay…"

Yui managed to make it all the way to the end of the hall before she slumped against the wall and broke down crying. Clasping her hands over her face, she let out a shudder as she slowly sank to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

* * *

The sight of his apartment brought Ken immense relief. He couldn't contain his excitement at getting back home, to sleep in his own room and resume his life. While his body was still a bit bruised, he was more than ready for his life to get back to normal. But more than anything, he wanted to see Osamu. It had been days since he last saw his brother, not since the terrible accident. Though his parents had assured him that his brother was alright, he wouldn't be able to relax until he had rested his eyes on Osamu himself.

His parents' enthusiasm was far more subdued than his, their behavior somber as they escorted their child home. Ken couldn't blame them for not sharing his excitement, as they had been through quite a bit too. Fortunately, it was over now, he was home, and everything would be alright just as soon as Osamu talked them out of whatever funk they were in.

As soon as his father opened the door, Ken hurried into the apartment. He didn't even so much as glance back as he eagerly rushed to their room - his and Osamu's room. "Osamu? Osamu, I'm home! I'm…"

The words died on Ken's lips as something caught his attention - something that was _different_ in the living room. There was some sort of set up that hadn't been there before, and immediately caught his eye as he rushed past. When he slowed down and backed up to get a better look he froze, unable to comprehend what he was seeing - a small shrine on the wall with a picture of Osamu wreathed in black, with flowers and a little offering in front of it.

Ken moved closer as though in a trance and came to a halt in front of the arrangement, his mouth hanging agape. He took in everything, the sight of his older brother's smiling face beneath a ribbon of black, the smell of incense still wafting in the air. He knew full well what such a shrine was for. He had seen Osamu's picture framed all over the house. However, these two things did not go together. They simply couldn't.

The Chosen of Kindness remained still in front of the shrine, his mind struggling with the dissonance of the two disparate things combined before them until it slowly coelesed into one terrible implication. In that moment he was running to the bedroom and threw open the door, not bothering to knock. He didn't care if Osamu got angry at him for interrupting. He wanted, _needed_ to hear his brother's voice, to explain what this… this _farce_ in their living room was.

There was no Osamu inside the bedroom. It looked halfway dismantled, as though they were , clothes, books, and even bedding filled cardboard boxes lined up against the wall along with the stripped mattress and pieces of the lower bunk - Osamu's bed. Their computer - _Osamu's_ computer - was completely disassembled and rested in one of the boxes on the floor beside the desk with cables hanging out in a haphazard fashion, as though whoever packed it away had lost heart halfway through.

Ken's belongings had been left entirely untouched.

As Ken stared at the boxes and the bed missing its other half, his stomach churned with acid, threatening to rid him of the hospital food he had before being discharged. His hands quaked at his sides, slightly at first, but only increasing the longer he looked at the half-gutted room.

Slowly, very slowly, the Chosen of Kindness walked out of the room and made his way back to the living room, where his parents stood with huddled whispers around that lie of a shrine. The adults instantly went silent and turned towards him the second they spotted him, both wearing pained, but knowing expressions.

Ken stared at his parents, his pale skin prickling with nerves that. Everything felt wrong, completely wrong, as every inch of his being rejected what he was seeing. There had to be an explanation, a _logical_ explanation. One that didn't involve the terrible, horrible, _unthinkable_ reason why his brother's picture was in a shrine like that. "...Mom, Dad. Where's Osamu?"

The distressed looks on his parents' faces as they met each other's eyes in silence only made Ken's fears grow the longer it took for them to respond to him.

"Where's… Osamu?" Ken repeated, his voice cracking slightly as tinges of hysteria bled through his desperate attempts to remain composed. "Where is he?"

Tears welled up in Yui's eyes, and she turned her trembling back to Ken as she choked back a sob.

Haruto sighed, shoulders slumping, before he straightened up and regarded his youngest… formerly youngest son. "Osamu isn't coming back, Ken."

Ken felt his stomach clench as his blood turned to ice. "What… what do you mean? Why?"

Haruto went rigid, his body so tense it quaked faintly. "Osamu… is dead."

Yui let out another, louder sob at the words, burying her face in her hands.

Ken gave a start. The whole world seemed to stand still as he stared at his parents. Every inch of his being rejected what he was hearing, to the point that he felt violently ill. It was wrong - wrong, wrong, wrong. Everything they were saying was wrong.

They were _lying_.

"You're lying." Ken said, his voice faint. It was the only thing he could think of when the words left his father's mouth. "You said Osamu was fine."

"We wanted to wait until you were doing a little better," Yui said through tears. "We… we couldn't…"

Haruto wiped away the streaks of moisture on his cheeks, trying to remain stoic. He then headed over to something resting on the couch, some clothes in dry-cleaning wrap. As the boy's father lifted them upward, Ken could see the clothes for what they were - black suits.

The type of clothes worn at a funeral.

"Come on, let's get ready to see him off." Haruto said.

The sight of the suit and the words his father spoke seemed to set something off inside of Ken, something painful that twisted inside his heart and spread through the rest of his body.

"You said Osamu was fine." Ken repeated, his voice louder this time. An edge had entered his voice, high pitched and sharp like a knife. "You _said_ he was _fine_."

"Ken, please don't do this," Yui moaned. "This is hard enough on us as it is."

"Just… just get dressed in your suit," Haruto said as he pointed to the wretched black thing hanging in his hand.

"You - said - he - was - _fine_!" Ken screamed, clenching his fists. "You _lied_! _You lied!_ "

"Stop it, Ken!" Yui practically shrieked. "Don't you think this is hard on us too? Do you think we _want_ this to be true!? If you weren't playing in traffic that day, none of this would've ever happened!"

" _Liar_!" Ken screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Liar liar liar liar _liar_!"

A sharp slap of his father's hand across his cheek rocked Ken to his very core. "Stop it! That's enough! I won't have you talking to us this way, not when today is the last day we'll ever see your brother." Haruto shoved the suit roughly into his son's hands. "Get dressed right now, and I don't want to hear another word out of you. And no more tears either. You're a boy, aren't you?"

Ken went completely silent, but the tears continued to flow down his cheeks, stinging the red mark that hard formed where his father had struck him.

* * *

The sun slowly set over the horizon, ending one of the worst days of a child's life by casting its beautiful orange and red light across the city. The light spilled in along the floor through the sliding glass doors of the balcony, creeping across the carpet until it reached Ken. He sat on the floor to their bedroom - _his_ bedroom - while facing the balcony in the empty space where Osamu's bed had been, still wearing his suit. He said nothing, perfectly silent as he sat staring outwards in to the city beyond.

The Chosen of Kindness didn't even look up when the computer monitor, the only piece of electronic equipment not yet unplugged from the wall flashed seconds before Ryo, Keiko, Nyamon, and Wormmon gated in o the room.

"Ken-chan!" Wormmon shouted as he dashed across the floor to hug Ken from behind, mindful of being gentle. "I'm so sorry I had to leave you alone for so long, but when your parents came to see you at the hospital they got scared and… and I didn't want to make things harder on you."

Ryo stumbled a bit to catch himself before he gave a small shake. He glanced around the room, momentarily taken aback by its current state, before his eyes finally settled on the Chosen of Kindness. "Ken!"

Ken didn't respond, still staring outward in to the city.

A cold feeling of dread crept up Keiko's spine. "Ken-chan?"

Once again, Ken didn't respond. He remained perfectly still, sitting on the floor in his once neatly pressed black suit, not caring that it was becoming wrinkled. He didn't even notice Wormmon crawling into his lap with worry shining in the little Digimon's eyes.

Nyamon frowned as she looked at Ken, tilting her head, before she turned her quizzical gaze to Keiko.

"Hey, um," Ryo faltered, reaching up to rub the back of his head. Something felt wrong, but he couldn't quite identify what, at least not yet. "How're you doing? I know you just got home and everything, and I'm sure it's good to be back so..." He trailed off when Ken continued to give him the silent treatment, which only served to make the nagging feeling prickling in his gut intensify. "A-anyway, we're still trying to find out what hospital Osamu's staying at. It'd be a whole lot easier if your parents would just tell us but, well… they're still not really speaking to us at all and Narakumon's having a lot of trouble finding him, but as soon as we do-"

"Osamu is dead," Ken said, finally. His voice was like the tolling of a bell that echoed through the room.

Ryo froze at that, his eyes going wide. Wormmon gasped, holding his digits over his mouth.

"What!?" Keiko blurted out. Beside her, Nyamon's ears canted back while Narakumon gaped at the boy openly.

" _That's… that's not possible_!" Narakumon protested with a shake of his head, not that Ken could see or hear him in this ghostly state. " _I… I would have sensed that! I would... have..._ " He trailed off as his eyes widened, reaching up to grip the front of his armor around his throat. As he spoke, his confidence began to slip away, as did the color to his already-pale face. " _S-surely…?_ "

"Osamu is dead," Ken said again, his voice surprisingly even. "And it's all my fault."

"That's not true, Ken-chan!" Wormmon shouted, hopping upright as best he could in a desperate effort to meet Ken's gaze, only to fail as his partner's eyes never strayed from the red-stained horizon.

"You're not responsible for what happened," Keiko said in ernest as she stepped closer to Ken. "The only one to blame is that driver!"

"That's right," Ryo said, stumbling over his words as he still reeled from the shock. "It's not. And Osamu can't be… can't…" His voice weakened and faded out with a thin squeak. Although his past interactions with Osamu had never been pleasant, he couldn't accept the idea that the older brother of his best friend, his classmate, his unwanted rival was… gone. Forever.

"It's my fault," Ken repeated. "That's what everyone at the funeral said. It was my fault - he died to protect _me_."

"Ken-chan…," Wormmon whimpered, tears shining in his eyes. He buried his face into Ken's chest and pressed close in a desperate attempt to comfort his partner when words failed him. "It's not. It's not, it's not, it's not!"

For a moment, Keiko could only stare at Ken, speechless, as a rush of rage urged her to hunt down these people and tear them to pieces. Fortunately, her concern for her friend won in the end, and she pulled Ken into a tight embrace. "It's _not_ your fault, Ken-chan. Those bastards can go to hell for even _thinking_ that crap! It's that damn driver's fault!"

"That's right," Ryo said again as he joined the hug. Emotions tore through him, so polarizing and confusing that it left him somewhere close to numb, going through the motions he knew were the right thing to do, but unable to properly think them though. "It's not your fault. You didn't want this to happen."

Ken felt a shiver run up his spine as Ryo's words reminded him of what he had said so long ago, during one of their fights. Right after Osamu had attacked Wormmon, he had told Osamu to disappear - that he hated him and wanted Osamu to disappear.

In the end, that was precisely what Osamu had done.

"I-it's all my fault!" Ken wailed, his numbness breaking as his voice cracked and hitched. Dull eyes that had long since emptied their tears somehow found enough left to swell up again, one soaking the bandage while the other left a streak of moisture down his cheek. He reached up to cover his face, his body shuddering as sobs bubbled up anew. "I killed him!"

"That's not true, Ken-chan," Wormmon said, his voice muffled against Ken's chest as he shook his head. "You did nothing wrong. You would never, ever, _ever_ be responsible for what happened to you and Osamu."

Keiko tightened her hold on the sobbing boy and pulled him closer, allowing him to sob his heart out against her chest. She then pulled Ryo and Wormmon closer as well, holding them both tightly and ensuring Ken was embraced on all sides. Even Nyamon joined in to the hug, coming up behind Ryo and wrapping her arms around the boys' back, her own eyes moist as her ears drooped.

Such support was all they could offer the Chosen of Kindness as he wailed and unleashed a grief that would not abate, intensified by the pain in his body and his heart. The group were all too keenly aware of how much Ken had been through; it never seemed to stop, as the world crushed down on him unrelentingly. In this inconsolable put of despair that had swallowed Ken whole, none of their words, their assurances meant anything, as it all ultimately came to nothing. He was still alive, still a burden in his mind, responsible for the suffering of everyone around him.

Ken wished from the bottom of his heart that _he_ had disappeared, instead of Osamu.


	39. Chapter 39

_We've discovered a way to defeat Millenniumon once and for all._

Gennai's email was one that had taken the Chosen Children, and everyone else who had received it, by surprise. It was a message that none of them had expected to see, and yet it filled them with far more hope than they had felt in a long time.

"Is this for real?" Keiko asked, brow furrowed and lips pursed. She and Ryo sat in the dining room of Crystal Tower, with one of their D-Terminals open and facing them with the video chat active so that Ken could join the conversation. Nyamon and Leomon were with them, along with FlaWizarmon, Witchmon, Higashi, and Zennyu as they all huddled around the table, discussing the email earnestly.

"It can't hurt to try it, can it?" Ryo said with an uncertain shrug. He turned to the D-Terminal and tried to smile in spite of the despondent look on Ken's face. "Right?"

Ken gave a non-committal hum as a response. He really didn't know why they bothered asking him, all things considered. After all, it wasn't as if it was up to him, or that he might be of any use. His input meant little to nothing.

Ryo's smile dissolved as a sigh escaped him. Ever since Osamu's funeral, Ken had grown quiet and depressed. The spark had disappeared from the Chosen of Kindness' eyes. Unfortunately, there was nothing more they could do to help Ken. They had offered their condolences and sympathy, everything they could, but it would never be enough, because no words could bring back the dead.

Higashi watched the exchange with his emotions clear on his face, practically feeling the pain Ken was suffering right now, before he finally had to look away. He only glanced up a moment when he felt someone give his shoulder a squeeze to see Zennyu's red eyes filled with sympathy gazing back at him. The silent support of his lover eased his heartache only a little, leaving him staring off into the distance.

FlaWizarmon glanced towards the screen that reflected Ken's somber visage, then reached up to pull the brim of his hat down to shade his eyes for a moment before he straightened up again. "So, anyone else find it real interestin' that Gennai an' the Holy Beasts apparently got this all figured out but didn't feel the need to tell nobody nuthin'?"

"Did you know anything about this?" Ryo asked as he turned to Higashi and Zennyu.

Zennyu's neutral expression gave away nothing when he met Ryo's gaze, before he clicked his pen. "No."

"We are, unfortunately, just as much in the dark as everyone else," Higashi said with an apologetic smile when he finally managed to look back at the children.

"I'm not surprised," Nyamon said, her expression deadpan. "They've never considered Tenraimon an equal, and Narakumon's one step away from being outright declared an enemy."

Keiko scowled, arms folded in front of her, as a displeased noise rumbled at the back of her throat.

Nyamon nodded at her partner's displeasure. "They won't include us in anything unless they absolutely need to."

"Like now," FlaWizarmon said cheerfully, with a flourish of his left hand.

"I assure you, no disrespect was intended," a voice came from behind the group, causing a few of them to jump before they all turned to see Gennai standing in the doorway behind them with a serene look on his face. "It's simply that the most successful plans are typically the ones the enemy _doesn't_ know about."

Zennyu stared at Gennai wordlessly before he clicked his pen and proceeded to write something down on his notepad.

"Yo, Gennai~!" FlaWizarmon said with a finger-salute from his brow. "So, what's the deal?"

Gennai smiled at FlaWizarmon but said nothing, instead turning a pointed gaze to the D-Terminal in Ryo's hand. More specifically, he turned his gaze to Ken's watching face, which was quite a feat, considering he never opened his eyes to do it.

Ken blinked before he grimaced, catching the meaning immediately. It was hard not to, given how much it had disrupted his life up until that point.

"Ah, right," Witchmon muttered lightly. "Millenniumon."

A rush of anger swelled inside of Ryo at the reminder, but he forced it down as best he could when he turned to Ken apologetically. "Sorry, Ken. We'll call you back and tell you what we can later, okay?"

Ken lowered his gaze, quiet for a long while before he finally let out a small, defeated mutter. "I know. See you later."

With that, the Chosen of Kindness disconnected the call, turning the D-Terminal's screen dark.

Keiko clenched her fist at her side. "Damn Millenniumon…"

Nyamon gave a grim nod before she turned to Gennai. "What's the plan?"

"I know that it has taken quite some time, but we've finally discovered a way to neutralize Millenniumon's powers," Gennai said as he bowed his head. He then reached into his robe to pull out a small clear orb before holding it out to the others to see.

FlaWizarmon gave a blink before he tilted his head. "Uh, well. I guess it's a nice lookin' ball, and all buuuuut…"

"It is actually a containment barrier," Gennai said with a chuckle. "One that would be use the only power that is strong enough to combat his own - that of the Chosen Children themselves."

"You… intend to use the Chosen Children's power?" Leomon asked, his eyes wide.

"Bit drastic, dontcha think?" Flawizarmon asked as he arched an eyebrow. "Is it really okay to use the kids like that?"

"We admit he's been quite the consistent pain in our behinds," Witchmon said as she pressed her fingertips together. "We know that more than anyone, but..."

"Millenniumon is using the power of the Digital World itself," Gennai said. "He can manipulate it to the point that he can not only manipulate the flow of time but also create as many bodies as he likes, and _control_ anything that is within this world. At this point, I fear that he is developing his ability even further, to the point that he may soon control the very fabric of reality itself."

"W-whoa, whoa," FlaWizarmon said as he raised his hands wardingly. "Are you serious!?"

"Can he really do that?" Witchmon asked anxiously as she glanced towards Keiko.

Keiko furrowed her brow and was about to respond when Narakumon's voice responded in her head, quiet but firm.

" _Yes,_ " Narakumon said, his words falling only on the ears of his Chosen and her partner. He didn't look up, even as both Keiko and Nyamon turned to gawk at him. " _He can_."

Keiko let out a quiet curse under her breath. "He wants to usurp you and Mama! He wants to take over as god of the Digital World!"

Ryo felt his stomach churn. "I think so too."

"Yeah, that certainly sounds like somethin' that arrogant prick would do," FlaWizarmon grumbled as he scratched at the back of his neck.

"He's certainly doing a good enough job trying," Witchmon muttered bitterly. "Taking control of Digimon and even humans, manipulating time, hijacking the internet, creating whole _new_ powerful Digimon…"

Higashi fidgeted in place as he glanced about the room before turning his anxious gaze to Zennyu, who gave an almost imperceivable shake of his head. The avatar angel of Light hesitated before he grimaced, then looked away.

Narakumon hesitated before he grimaced. He seemed to be chewing over his words, still not looking at his child. " _Regardless, it is… true that at this point, the only power that can counteract his own is that of the Chosen Children. Just as I cannot resist your power, neither can he._ "

"Then let's give it to him," Keiko said as she raised her fist with fire in her eyes. "We'll smash it right into his stupid face!"

" _Not you,_ " Narakumon's voice came sharp. He finally looked up to meet Keiko's shocked and somewhat outraged expression. " _You are still too weak - I will not risk you. The others should be more than enough. He is not so powerful that it requires all the might of the Digital World itself._ "

"Just most of it?" Nyamon asked as she quirked an eyebrow.

"I would advise against the Chosen of Darkness donating her energy," Gennai said with a bow of his head. "Or the Chosen of Miracles, for that matter. We will need the both of them to confront Millenniumon when the time comes. As it is, the orb will drain the Chosen Child considerably, and they will not be able to assist us in this final confrontation."

"So, what, you wanna drain just Ken-chan?" FlaWizarmon asked as he quirked an eyebrow. "There ain't no way we would agree to that."

"There are eight other active Chosen Children," Gennai said, with a smile. "I am sure they would be more than happy to assist us. I cannot see any of them refusing, certainly not the bearer of Light herself. Though I admit that it is selfish to ask them, when they have already done so much to save our world."

Keiko let out a frustrated huff of breath as she folded her arms across her chest and looked away, trying not to let the others see her sulk with minimal success.

Ryo let out a brief laugh at seeing such a pout, but the seriousness of the situation wouldn't permit levity for long. "Don't take it too personally, Keiko. You probably shouldn't be donating your energy again so soon anyway. Plus you did save a life with it, so it's not like it was wasted."

There was a brief moment's pause before Keiko let out a sigh and relaxed her stance just a little. "I guess you're right."

Witchmon hovered above Keiko and ruffled the Chosen of Darkness' hair, who let out a huff and squirmed away from the oversized hand, which only brought a mischievous smile to the witch's face. "You can't handle everything yourself all the time, dearie. Let someone else shoulder the load sometimes."

Keiko huffed and looked away as she smoothed out her rumpled hair, a pink tinge to her cheeks. "Maybe. Just this time."

"I will invite the Chosen Children to the Digital World and ask them for their assistance," Gennai said with a nod as he placed the orb back within his robes. "I will also take the opportunity to reunite them with their partners, and send them all back together. After all, they will need their support while they recover from the experience." He paused for a moment before turning to smile at Ryo. "Would you like to come, young Miracles? It would be a good opportunity for you to meet the other Chosen Children."

"Wh-wha?!" Ryo sputtered, eyes widening. "You want me to…" He trailed off awkwardly, face burning with embarrassment at how he reacted. It shouldn't be a big deal, yet the very suggestion of meeting a group of strangers, warriors who took on the dangers of the Digital World entirely unaided for months, got his pulse racing.

Witchmon flashed a wide smile that showed off her razor sharp teeth as she leaned against Ryo's shoulder. "I think that's a swell idea. Making new friends is always so much fun, don't you think, Lord Miracles?"

"Exactly~!" FlaWizarmon agreed. "It would be a perfect opportunity for Lord Miracles to expand his influence, and get a little _socializing_ practice!"

Ryo knew his face must've been the shade of a tomato by now. "But I, uh…"

Keiko batted Witchmon away from Ryo so she could place her hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention to her sympathetic expression. "Don't overthink it. While you're doing that, I'll fill Ken-chan in on what he can know right now and try to keep him from feeling left out. Sound fair?"

Although Ryo's mind screamed 'no', and he wanted to switch jobs, he had to concede that it was too risky. Going to Ken's hospital room and then apartment after the accident had been reckless enough, particularly since he hadn't been thinking straight at the time. If Zeed had something big planned, then there was little doubt he would use Ken to ruin their attempts to stop him if he got Ken in reach again.

The lives of his friends was not something Ryo was willing to risk.

"Okay," Ryo sighed, defeated, his shoulders sagging. Even if he accepted his duties, he couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread. "I'll see you later then."

Zennyu observed everyone gathered with a scrutinizing gaze as he took detailed notes that would have overflowed a single page of paper, yet his notepad took it all. It was when he paused to click his pen a few times that he noticed a new presence. Cassandramon stood partially in the doorway furthest from the gathering, her eyes focused on him with unnerving intensity, unwavering and unblinking.

Zennyu waited until Ryo reluctantly left with Gennai, and he finished one last note before turning to Higashi. "Excuse me a moment," he murmured low into the other angel's ear, pleased by the way Higashi shivered at the feel of his warm breath and blushed faintly.

Higashi offered Zennyu a weak smile as he tried to smooth out his reaction lest anyone else notice it. "Alright… take your time."

Zennyu stole a kiss from Higashi, chuckling at the way hit made his lover squeak and his white wings puff up in surprise, then walked off as though he had done nothing. Although Cassandramon had disappeared from view, he went down the hall until he found her again, knowing that whatever she wanted to say was for his ears alone.

Cassandramon was waiting for Zennyu in one of the outdoor balcony gardens, the Digital World stretching far below her and onward past the horizon. As Zennyu entered the balcony, the seer didn't turn to face him. "The upcoming battle will be important."

"Quite the understatement," Zennyu said dryly as he clicked his pen at his side. "Particularly if you feel the need to discuss it with me."

"Death will be inevitable," Cassandramon said as she pressed her fingertips together.

Although Zennyu kept his expression neutral, his muscles faintly tensed, the clicking of his pen rhythmic. He remained silent, gears turning rapidly in his mind, until finally, he said one low word. "Whose?"

Cassandramon was silent for a moment before she tilted her head. "Some deaths will lead to a better result, while others…" She trailed off before finally turning to face Zennyu. "...Would be very _inconvenient_."

"'A better result'," Zennyu repeated darkly. "That can only happen if they can be reborn afterward."

Cassandramon stared at Zennyu, her blank expression giving nothing away. She then made a humming sound before she straightened her head. "The choice is ultimately yours."

"So my actions will decide whether or not death is permanent for one or more?" Zennyu asked as he raised his notepad and pen. "I want details. Now."

Cassandramon didn't respond at first, allowing silence to linger between them for quite some time as she blandly met the angel's scowl with an empty expression of her own. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she tilted her head to the side as her middle eye opened up wide, the golden iris staring at Zennyu. "I suppose it would be interesting to see what the Dark Ocean will do to Higashi instead of you."

The air thickened with tension as Zennyu lose his composure, throwing aside his writing implements as his expression contorted with rage. "No!" he roared as chains lashed out from his body, smashing the walls and balcony railings around Cassandramon, though neither they nor the debris hit her. Even still, they remained around her, hooked into shards of crystal almost like a cage. "That is _not_ the future you will guide us to!"

Cassandramon didn't so much as flinch as she straightened her head, all three of her eyes going half-lidded. "As I said, it is your choice."

Zennyu's harsh breath hissed in and out between his teeth angled in a snarl. It took him nearly a minute to reclaim some composure and retract his chains to their resting place around his body, but his red eyes glared death into the three-eyed angel. "Details. _Now_."

Only now did the expression on Cassandramon's face finally change, as a small smile cutting across it. "As you wish."


	40. Chapter 40

The heat of the explosion slammed into Ryo's back like a wave at the ocean, but he wasn't sure if it or the sound that tore through the air that sent him crashing to the ground. For a moment he merely laid there on the grass, heart pounding. It had to have been an attack from a Digimon, but was it just from getting so close to the combat, or were they aiming for him now? Afraid of the answer, he scrambled to his feet and began running.

Ryo barely made it two steps before a new sound pierced the ringing in his ears, a horrible yet familiar shriek. He looked to the sky and saw a blur of black in the distance breaking away from the battlefield and heading in his direction. As it drew closer, he recognized it and a fresh new fear seized him, freezing him in place.

It was Nyxmon screaming Keiko's name.

Ryo could still feel the heat behind him from the explosion and as his hearing returned to normal, he caught the crackling of flames greedily devouring wood. His instincts told him what had happened, but for a moment he couldn't move, refusing to believe what deep down he already knew. He turned, almost against his will, and saw the bunker he had snuck away from only minutes ago… or at least what remained of it.

Pieces of wood and stone lay scattered in all directions around a blackened, smoking pit. It was only pure luck that Ryo had not been hit by the debris of what had obviously been a terrible explosion. Nyxmon's screaming faded, drowned out beneath the sound of his rapid heartbeat and the small voice inside him whispering denials.

 _This isn't happening this isn't happening this isn't happening…_

Before Ryo knew it, he was running at top speed back towards what remained of the bunker. As he drew closer, he realized that not all the black and red fog rising into the air were smoke and embers, but data. There were so many Digimon inside, young and old, too weak to fight back. He never bothered to count how many there were. He barely even looked at them, so focused on the battle.

Who was inside that terrible cloud heading to the Dark Ocean?

There was something else far worse waiting in the crater for Ryo, but he couldn't think about it even though Nyxmon's screams continued to echo through the air. He stopped at the edge, charred dirt crumbling under his toes, and looked for a handhold so that he could climb down and look for…

Ryo stopped. Everything stopped.

There was little left in the crater. The Digimon were gone already, far too late to save. There was only one body left.

Ryo couldn't take it all in at once. The moment fragmented into small details. The air stank of smoke and burnt meat. Something pink and blackened, twisted at an odd angle was a leg. A hand elsewhere completely withered beside a sleeve that was still burning, no longer attached to a dress. A shiny round red head wreathed in ash that was once hair.

That wasn't Keiko down there. Ryo couldn't accept that. He refused to acknowledge the slowly growing circle of red liquid. Yet he couldn't stop staring at the torso still left mostly intact, the familiar patterns on fabric that miraculously hadn't been burnt, and the necklace holding a black crest lined in gold.

Ryo's legs gave way, but he did nothing to catch himself as he fell to the ground. He kept staring at the Crest of Darkness until his eyes blurred with tears and he could no longer see anything.

 _This isn't happening this isn't happening this isn't happening…_

A hint of movement made Ryo flinch, stopping him from shutting the world out around him. After a moment, he saw it again, and faintly heard a shuddering gasp.

"Oh God," Ryo whispered. "She's still alive."

Relief, fear, and horror tore into Ryo until he couldn't think anymore. He reached for the edge of the crater, only for a hand to grab him by the arm and pull him away.

"Ryo!" Leomon shouted. "It's not safe here! Come with me! Hurry!"

Ryo struggled to break free of the Adult's ironclad grip. "No!" he screamed, his voice bordering on hysterics. "Let me go! She's still alive! Keiko's still alive! I have to save her!"

Leomon's face was grim as he lifted Ryo up over his shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice tight with emotion, "but there's nothing we can do for her now."

Ryo kicked and thrashed to no avail, craning his head back to at least catch a glimpse of Keiko, but Leomon had already carried him far enough away he could no longer see her. " _Keiko!_ "

The scream echoed in the air above Ryo, drawing his gaze up to Nyxmon, who was fighting against two Ultimates hovering in her path. He opened his mouth, ready to shout to her, when he realized that the dark aura that surrounded Nyxmon was no longer just the power of Darkness, but a cloud of data. The bottom dropped out of his stomach. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't stop himself.

He could see parts of her body were gone, small chunks that he wouldn't have noticed from this distance if he didn't look too closely.

"No…" The word came out strangled from Ryo's lips as tears streaked his cheeks. "No, not you too! _Nyxmon!_ "

If Nyxmon heard Ryo, she didn't show it. There was nothing but her single-minded determination to reach Keiko. Even as her body was crumbling around her, her eyes never strayed from the crater, and only the name of her partner was on her lips.

The full weight of everything that was happening came crashing down on Ryo. They had suffered loss before, battled so many times, but this was different. This was truly _war_. All around him he could see Digimon dying, on their side or Zeed Millenniumon's. Each life lost meant an eternity in the Dark Ocean suffering a hell of madness and despair from which there was no escape.

Ryo didn't know when he started screaming, but he couldn't stop. He was falling into blackness as rage unlike anything he had never known before consumed his mind. Millenniumon was to blame. All the suffering they had endured, the hardship… It was all because of one Digimon who wanted power over everything, one who tormented him and mocked him with promises to make him a 'Beloved' pet and watch helplessly as the world burned around him.

The world was burning. All Ryo could feel was the searing hate blackening his insides, darkening the battlefield around him until all he could see was Zeed Millenniumon. A hulking beast with two draconic heads, he looked as if two Digimon made of red and blue energy respectively had fused together, their body twisting about to create the abomination that was seemingly held together by the four glowing bands of code that swirled around him like a barrier. Ryo's mortal enemy steadily moved towards him, both heads focused always solely on him as it used its massive front claws to pull itself as its back legs were not quite yet formed.

Zeed was the one who crafted this eldritch abomination of an evolution fighting them now with an army of the damned. He was the one who created this situation where no one would be reborn and everyone would die.

Keiko would die and so was Nyamon. They were dying. His best friends were dying. They were dying in pain, in utter agony. Then their souls would be dragged to hell for eternity.

Because of Zeed.

"You…" Ryo grit his teeth until they hurt. " _You!_ "

Leomon stopped running, growing alarmed as a strange glow emitted from Ryo's body. "Wait, Ry-"

" _Millenniumon!_ "

A single scream could not contain all the hatred Ryo had in his heart for Zeed Millenniumon at that very moment, but the sound was still terrible to hear. The Digimon nearby who heard it stopped, distracted from the battle to focus on Ryo before a dark and twisted evolution overtook those who sided with him.

Ryo barely felt himself smack into the ground as Leomon lost hold of him during the transformation into Mad Leomon. He pulled himself up immediately, his eyes never wavering from Zeed Millenniumon even as the Digimon he called friend now attacked everyone around them, consumed by madness and his hatred.

"I'll kill you!" Ryo screamed, hatred tearing his voice ragged and shrill. "Do you hear me, Millenniumon? _You're dead!_ "

A chime came from Ryo's D-Terminal, but its message went unanswered. He stepped towards the monster he hated with all of his heart until his instincts screamed at him to move. He turned and the world spun away from him wildly.

When Ryo hit the ground, he could no longer feel anything from the neck down. He tried to move, but couldn't. He couldn't breathe or speak. He could only look around and see a bloody body without a head tumbling down beside him.

As blackness slowly crept in along the edges of Ryo's vision, he saw the great and terrible form of Zeed Millenniumon coming right for him.

For only a moment, Ryo thought he saw data breaking down from the monster's body.

Then there was nothing.


	41. Chapter 41

A large bubble burst, and with it the last leaking memory. As visions of Ryo's last breath faded from view, bleeding away until it melted into the blackness surrounding him, the Digimon known as Zeed roused, flicking one of his cat-like ears. Gold eyes glistened, the only light in the suffocating darkness save for the red triangle gem on his brow that emitted a faint golden glow. A fragile bubble of similar color surrounded his curled body, serving as a barrier against the all-encompassing void around him.

Zeed's soft fur was dull and dirty, matted with blood and filth, as his small black draconian wings were nigh invisible as they blended in with the blackness that surrounded them.

Zeed's eyes drifted about, searching for the disturbance - for whatever source had managed to draw him out of his stupor. He was greeted only with silence, as the Dark Ocean didn't dare speak when its master was awake. It could only sneak in its punches when it thought no one - least of all him - was paying attention.

Fools in life, fools in death.

Letting out a snort, Zeed closed his eyes and lowered his head, allowing his weary body to drift back to unconsciousness.

As his mind slipped away, the darkness was quickly replaced by a sea of gold - his subconscious. Within that golden sea, was Ryo, his Beloved. The human child was asleep, his eyes closed as he floated within the gold in a fetal position, oblivious to his surroundings. He wore no clothes as his body had an unearthly golden glow that replaced all other color, while digital code written in the Digital language swirled around him like a protective orb. A thin white line appeared around Ryo's neck as data flickered around it, like a glitch that was slowly resolving itself.

Zeed paid no mind to the code as he slipped past, drifting to spoon Ryo as best as his small body could, wrapping his fluffy tail about his precious Beloved to keep him warm - and safe.

In that gold, the Digimon found himself unable to care about anything else - he lacked both the energy and the will. The pain in his body made it difficult to even remain awake, let alone think. All he could focus on was Ryo's heartbeat, a stable heartbeat that he had worked so hard and sacrificed so much to maintain.

It was a heartbeat that he had nearly lost completely.

Zeed let out a soft rumble as he rested his chin on the nook of Ryo's shoulder, against his head. The Digimon took a deep breath before letting it out as a heavy sigh, attempting to clear his thoughts and any lingering trace of consciousness from his aching, tattered form.

He would have to do a better job of blocking out the Dark Ocean's influence, but it was hard to remain vigilant when he felt so completely spent. However, he wasn't about to lose himself, to allow his individuality to meld into the mess that surrounded him. Nor, more importantly, was he going to let Ryo suffer that fate. Zeed would simply have to continue acting as a buffer between his Beloved and the Dark Ocean, and be the subject of its influence instead. It didn't matter what sort of tricks it pulled, the memories or whispered suggestions that hid among his own - he was a god, _their god_ , and would not be broken.

It was admittedly hard for Zeed to tell what memories belonged to who - what was his, what was Ryo's, and what belonged to some other occupant of the Dark Ocean. But in the end, it didn't matter.

Nothing remained but fragments.


End file.
